My Little Eye
by matureskinsfan
Summary: Four years on from leaving Roundview, Emily and Naomi are living in Oxford when they unwittingly get dragged into a murder investigation conducted by DI Lewis & DS Hathaway from Thames Valley CID. Find out what happens when two different worlds collide.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

After 4 months of inactivity since Christmas, yet again I find myself being drawn like a magnet towards penning another Skins story, having previously stated that I wouldn't do any more after my last effort, Photo Finish. I guess I just like writing about these characters too much to stay away for long!

This time, however, I'm attempting an ambitious project in bringing together many of our favourite characters from **Skins** AND characters from the popular TV crime drama series **Lewis.** The daunting challenge of throwing together the much loved DI Robert (Robbie) Lewis, DS James Hathaway & colleagues, shaped by the rarefied intellectual Oxford background in which they work, in a hopefully interesting mix with the more down to earth, grounded, fun-loving Bristol-based characters from Skins appeals to me. The action will centre mainly on the 2nd generation Skins gang (Naomi, Emily, JJ, Effy & Co) but I would like to try and bring in some generation 1 and 3 characters as well! The story will be set some considerable time after the end of Series 4.

I shall, as always, be thrilled to get ANY reviews/ feedback at all and I am always extremely grateful for any comments or suggestions that readers can spare the time to make on any of the chapters I write. I hope you enjoy the story, even if it turns out to be a bit of an uncertain ride at times!

**CHAPTER ONE: **

With a well practiced sigh of despair Emily Fitch removed a magazine from one of the kitchen chairs, threw it on to the table and sat down to quietly contemplate with a weary shake of her head the trail of destruction that Naomi had left behind her. It had only been half an hour since her girlfriend had set off for her nine o'clock Monday morning seminar with Professor Greaves so the tell-tale aromas of a hastily prepared breakfast hung still fresh in the air and penetrated Emily's delicately twitching nostrils. The kitchen table was a veritable smorgasbord of dirty plates and crockery, half-filled jugs, glasses and mugs of orange juice and tea and what looked like for all the world every single jar of jam, marmalade and honey that they had in the house.

An innocent observer might have been moved to suggest that burglars had broken in while the two girls lay sleeping upstairs but had been overcome with a sudden ravenous hunger and, instead of ransacking the house for valuables, had proceeded to empty almost the entire contents of the fridge onto the kitchen table. They had then dined like lords before typically scarpering from the scene of their crime without bothering to lift a finger to put things back as they had found them. Seeing as the current penchant amongst young petty thieves nowadays is to piss all over the house they have broken into, as a final 'fuck you' insulting gesture of contempt, Emily supposed she had to be grateful that Naomi had at least had the decency to go to the bathroom to have a wee before leaving for college. She loved Naomi with all her heart and soul, plus a bit more to boot, but her girlfriend's general untidiness and complete inability to clear up after herself had been a bone of contention between the pair of them from the very first moment they had started living together as a proper couple. It seemed only fitting to Emily that one of the 'joke' presents she had recently bought for Naomi's rapidly approaching twenty-third birthday was a miniature dustpan and brush set. She knew Naomi would see the funny side of it when she unwrapped the gift but right at that moment Emily wished that she didn't feel the need to make her point in such a pointed and sarcastic manner.

The redhead switched the kettle on for her much needed first drink of the day and started clearing up the unholy mess that Naomi had left behind. Ten minutes later she had finished making the kitchen look a place fit for human habitation again when her mobile rang and she took the opportunity to sit down with her half finished cup of tea and take Katie's call.

'Hi,' she said, opening up the women's magazine that Naomi had left so thoughtfully and conveniently for her and gazing at the images through disinterested eyes. 'How are things?' She couldn't suppress a wry smile as her twin immediately launched into one of her typical self-pitying and random rants about all the shitty stuff that was happening in her life, how EVERYONE she had to deal with at work were complete dicks of the first order, especially her boss, how her latest boyfriend was an utter waste of space and how Mum was driving her round the bend trying to run her life for her.

'Is that it,' sighed Emily as Katie took her first discernible pause for breath for what seemed like an entire morning but was probably no more than a few minutes, 'or is there more?'

'Sorry, Em' said Katie a touch sheepishly and giggled apologetically down the phone. 'I guess I just get so…..fucking wound up!'

'You don't say. I've told you before about standing up to Mum and not letting her rule your life. If she sees you being weak and feeble about everything she'll just drive a bloody great big bus right through all your plans. Don't take any shit from her, Katie. I don't.'

'Yeah, but that's easy for you to say, isn't it, now that you've escaped from her clutches and are safely miles away?'

Emily raised her eyes to the heavens and shook her head in mild irritation as Katie fell back on the same old excuses yet again to explain her lack of balls at dealing with the unpredictable and capricious nature of their mother.

'For fuck's sake, Katie, that's bollocks and you know it. I'm hardly on the other side of the world, am I? This is Oxford, England, not Oxford, USA, you know? We're only a couple of hours away. Anyway, the speed you drive at you can probably be here in an hour.'

'I don't drive that fast!' protested Katie, sounding genuinely wounded and outraged at Emily's implied criticism that she was a less than careful and considerate road user.

'How many company cars have you written off this year so far? Remind me, I've forgotten.' Emily smirked and almost let out an ill-considered chortle that she knew would only have served to provoke Katie into going off on one again. Fortunately she just managed to suppress it in time before Katie responded with a commendable degree of righteous indignation.

'Only the two and I told you the last one wasn't my fault! It was that stupid tosser I work with.'

'Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyway, what I want to know is, are you coming up this weekend or not? I'd really love you to be here, you know?'

'Of course, I'm coming. When have I ever missed a good party? Does Naomi still know nothing about it?'

Emily had been planning a surprise birthday party for Naomi over the last month and had been in touch with as many of the old Roundview gang as she could track down to invite them up to Oxford for the weekend for the mother of all birthday bashes.

'Not a thing. She's going to be completely blown away when everyone turns up on the doorstep on Saturday night. She thinks we're just going to have a quite little meal here, just the two of us.'

'Are you sure that isn't what she would really prefer, Em?' Katie knew Naomi well enough by now to strongly suspect that her sister's girlfriend's idea of the perfect birthday celebration would be to lock all the doors and windows to keep out the rest of the world so that she could fuck her beloved Emily's brains out all night without any unwanted interruptions. 'How is darling Naomi, anyway?'

'She's fine. Working too hard, as usual. She's only got another two months to hand in her thesis so she's absolutely shitting herself more and more each week.'

'Well, that's Oxford for you, I suppose. God knows why she had to go there to do her Masters. Obviously they make you really work for it there. She'd have had it much easier if she'd gone to Bristol, surely? Then at least we could have all seen each other more often.'

'Ah! Are you missing me, sister dear?'

'Fuck off, Em. I meant at least then Mum could have been giving _you_ a hard time as well as me. I get it in the neck for both of us now, remember?'

Emily grinned down the phone at her sister whom she could tell was desperately trying to cover up the fact that she was missing her by playing the burning martyr card as a smokescreen. But Emily missed Katie too and made a point of telling her sister so before hanging up. She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes for a few blissfully peaceful moments, enjoying the rare delight of total silence in the house before snapping out of her reverie and stirring herself with a few admonishing words. 'Come on, you lazy cow. You can't sit around here all day doing nothing. You've got things to do!'

The tall, slim, pleasantly good-looking, fair haired man in his early thirties dragged furiously on his cigarette as if he hoped an extra large shot of nicotine would somehow miraculously bring forth the answer to the last clue in his crossword. But nothing came out of his head other than a thick puff of smoke which enveloped him in a hazy fog which seemed to more than match the state of his mind that morning. He cursed silently under his breath and looked at his watch. Time to go in, he thought and, folding the newspaper neatly under his arm, he straightened up and was on the point of crossing the road when he was almost run over by a small sports car which seemed to come out of nowhere and was being driven far too fast for Oxford's narrow streets.

He pulled up short just in time and let out another oath, only this time much more audibly and turned his head to glare accusingly at the driver who screeched to a sudden halt about twenty yards ahead on a double yellow line and proceeded to get out of the car and head in a hurry towards the newsagents.

'Hey!' he shouted, walking with almost indecent haste towards the driver, intent on giving the crazy long-haired twat a judicial bollocking for almost mowing him down in broad daylight, not to mention parking illegally. He wasn't at his best first thing in the mornings and this was not a good start to his day. He certainly wasn't in the mood for being particularly charitable. 'You almost run me over just then, you idiot!

The driver stopped dead just short of the newsagents at the sound of his outraged accusation and turned round to reveal a dazzling smile and big, wide apologetic eyes.

'Oh my God! I'm really sorry. I honestly didn't see you. Please do forgive me.'

Sergeant Hathaway pulled up short and his expression, which hitherto had been set firmly and resolutely in a furious glare which didn't attempt to conceal his rising anger at the driver's obvious wanton recklessness, softened noticeably to be swiftly replaced by a much more controlled and moderate reaction. The contrite and embarrassed face which had turned and greeted him belonged to that of a strikingly beautiful young woman whom he estimated to be probably in her early twenties. She had long flowing dark tresses which shaped her perfectly sculpted face like a picture frame and emphasised the natural beauty of her smile with which she was currently unashamedly seeking to crave his forgiveness. Her piercing blue eyes dazzled him as they held his gaze and seemed to be laughing or, at the very least, smiling at him with a sort of playful cheekiness that suggested a young woman who was very aware of the effect her beauty had on men and wasn't afraid to use it when the occasion demanded.

'Um….it's okay, 'said Hathaway, unable to take his eyes off her sultry, hypnotic gaze and uncomfortably afraid that he might be blushing ever so slightly despite all his attempts to maintain some semblance of authority and self-control. 'Even so, you still can't park there, Miss. It's a double yellow line.'

'Oh,' said the young woman, looking down at the road and confirming Hathaway's statement. 'So it is. But…I'm only going to be a minute. I've run out of cigarettes, you see. I'll be in and out of the newsagents before you know it.'

Hathaway finally forced himself to look away from the beseeching eyes and instead stared off into the distance as he steadfastly maintained the party line. 'I'm sorry but you'll have to find somewhere else to park.'

'You don't look much like a traffic warden,' speculated the young woman dubiously as she pointedly looked the sergeant up and down, quietly noting his smart, perfectly tailored dark business suit complete with shiny black shoes and tastefully selected bright red tie. 'Aren't you supposed to wear some kind of special uniform? Where's your peaked cap, for a start?'

'I'm not a traffic warden.' Hathaway hesitated for a second or two, debating within his own mind whether it was really worth throwing his weight around like this for such a trivial traffic violation that would normally be beneath him to bother with for one second. He brought out his warrant card from his inside jacket pocket and showed it to the amused young woman who by now was grinning at him mischievously as if she was just beginning to enjoy the light-hearted banter and the battle of wills that she had initiated. She leaned forward and studiously read the proffered identification

'Police?' Wow! Illegal parking must be a serious crime in Oxford, then, Detective Sergeant Hathaway, for you to get involved. Or can I call you James?'

Hathaway bit his lip to conceal the germ of a smile that was threatening to break out across his face as he marvelled at the mischievous cheek of the woman. 'Sergeant Hathaway will do just fine, Miss…?' He raised an eyebrow in polite enquiry.

'Effy,' said the young woman, smiling at him and not just with her mouth, he thought he could detect. 'Effy Stonem. But I really do need to get some cigarettes, James. I've totally run out and my driving goes _completely to pot_ unless I have a cigarette to calm me down. I'm sure you understand.'

Hathaway quietly contemplated Effy for a second or two, trying to gauge just how much she was being totally straight with him or how much she was taking the piss out of him. He quickly gave up trying to figure that one out and thrust a hand into his outside jacket pocket, pulled out a packet of cigarettes, took one out of the box and held it out to Effy without a word.

'Why, James, that's very sweet of you! But I'm afraid I'm a twenty a day girl, not one a day. And I've still got a fair way to drive.'

Effy looked at Hathaway, then over at the newsagents, then back at Hathaway again, still giving him the same warm, inviting, alluring smile as before, patiently waiting for him to make the next move in this early morning game of intellectual chess.

Hathaway became acutely conscious that he would soon be running late for work if he continued to hang around and take on the seemingly unflappable Effy Stonem in this pointless, though admittedly harmless and mildly amusing battle of wits. He made his mind up to bring the whole episode to a swift conclusion. He returned the lone cigarette from whence it came and pressed the packet gently but firmly into her left hand before turning away to cross the street as had been his original intention only a few eventful and never to be forgotten minutes ago.

'Take them,' he said kindly over his shoulder as he moved slowly away from a surprised and laughing Effy. 'But move that car _now,_ please, Miss Stonem. I don't want to have to pull you in on your first visit to Oxford.'

'How do you know it's my first visit, Sergeant Hathaway?' asked Effy as she got back into her car and started up the engine.

'Because I would have remembered you if I'd run into you before, believe you me.'

Effy laughed out loud and glanced in her wing mirror, not solely to check to see if there was any oncoming traffic but also to verify that Hathaway was still within earshot. He had stopped on the opposite side of the road and turned round, almost as if to check that she was finally going to move on and not add to his crime statistics for the month.

'I think I might have to park my car illegally somewhere else, James,' Effy cried out, 'if it means running into you again.' With that somewhat cryptic parting shot Effy put her foot down hard on the accelerator and shot up the road like a bat out of hell, leaving a bemused Hathaway to shake his head in wonder and disbelief at the whirlwind flirtatious exchange to which he had just been an unwitting accomplice.

Emily waited until their lunch order had been taken before casually enquiring about Naomi's morning. 'Good day?' she asked, leaning forward and looking her girlfriend encouragingly in the eyes, whilst reaching out both hands to gently clasp Naomi's.

'Hmm, so so,' replied the blonde, pulling a slight face. 'The prof reckons I'm on the right track but I need to clarify my ideas a bit more and delve deeper into the social background.'

'Well, I'm sure you'll do just that,' said Emily with a knowing smile. She knew how much of a perfectionist Naomi was when it came to academic accomplishments and that she wouldn't settle for anything she did being merely okay or acceptable. With her it had to be first class or at the very least outstanding – she couldn't bear the idea that she might actually underachieve or underperform. Living with such a perfectionist had proved to be quite a challenge for Emily but she was gradually getting used to it and had learned what to say and how to say it to get the best reaction out of a still very fiery and emotional Naomi.

'I know you'll get things right in the end, you always do.' Emily's confidence in her girlfriend always gave Naomi a huge psychological lift and the blonde's initial uncertain demeanour quickly gave way to an almost embarrassed, shy grin as she squeezed Emily's hands in gratitude.

'Well, I can't let you down, can I?' said Naomi. 'Not after you've shown such faith in me. What sort of girlfriend would I be then?'

'_Probably_ still the best in the world,' teased Emily who was about to respond to Naomi's open mouthed pretence at outrage when her mobile went off. Reaching in her bag for it, she quickly glanced to see who it was and hesitated a fraction as she realised it was JJ sending a text message.

'Hang on, Naoms,' she said, adding quickly 'Where the hell are our drinks?' as she desperately tried to distract Naomi from the call she had received. Emily knew that JJ must be contacting her about the surprise party which she was terrified Naomi would accidentally find out all about, hence the cloak and dagger stuff to which they were all sworn to secrecy.

She quickly read the message which was mercifully short whilst Naomi, whom she was watching out of the corner of her eye, did her best to attract the attention of their waiter.

'We're ok for the weekend. Will c u as arranged. Cant wait! Awesome news to tell u both! You'll never guess. JJ'

Emily let out an involuntary squeal of excitement at the news that JJ and Lara would actually be making the trip up after some initial doubts due to babysitting issues with Albert. She was also intrigued at what JJ's news could be but she sensed the gaze of Naomi's eyes upon her and she hastily deleted the text before replacing the phone in her bag and turning her attention back to the now quizzical blonde who had heard the squeal.

'Who was that?' she asked with mild curiosity.

'Oh, just JJ,' explained Emily in her most convincing casual manner.

'What did he want? And what the hell was that squeal for? You don't normally make a noise like that except when we're' but the blonde got no further.

'YES! Thank you, Naoms!' as Emily cast anxious red-faced glances either side of them. 'I don't need you shouting out stuff like that in front of everyone!'

Naomi burst out laughing and looked round surprised but none of the other lunchtime diners appeared to be taking much interest in their private conversation. 'Ems! Chill out, babe. I was only teasing you. Don't be so paranoid. No-one's listening. What did JJ want?'

'Nothing much. Just touching base, that's all. Says he's missing us loads and can't wait to see us when we're back in Bristol.' Emily hated lying to Naomi, partly because she didn't think she was a very convincing liar anyway and partly because, well, she just hated not being truthful and straight with Naomi. Lies had almost destroyed their relationship some years ago and they had sworn they would always be honest with each other from that moment onwards. It's only a white lie and it's for a really good reason, Emily told herself but nonetheless she felt herself blushing inside so she swiftly changed the subject.

Naomi looked closely at Emily and pondered briefly whether to dig deeper or let it go. She felt sure she had seen Emily delete JJ's text which seemed highly suspicious and odd in itself. However she chose the latter option largely because she was too tired and it was too hot to have a row or to make an issue out of something that was probably nothing. She knew she had cocked up before overreacting to harmless remarks which meant bugger all and so she allowed Emily to take her off onto another topic of intimate conversation, despite the slight misgivings and pangs of doubt that flickered dimly in the corners of her mind.

Even before Hathaway had arrived at his desk he had sensed that something was up. There seemed to be an 'atmosphere' around the place, nothing he could put his finger on precisely, nothing any of his colleagues had said or hinted at when they had exchanged the customary morning pleasantries. But he felt that something significant had happened and he suspected it wouldn't be long before all was revealed. Sure enough he had barely sat down at his desk and switched on his PC when his guvnor DI Lewis came into the room, holding a plastic wallet containing a single piece of paper, his face serious and drawn, although to be fair DI Lewis often looked like that first thing in the morning, being a bit of an insomniac in recent times.

Hathaway looked up as Lewis came over to him and held out the plastic wallet for him to inspect. 'We've had another one this morning,' said Lewis, 'only this time it's a bit more specific.'

Hathaway took the wallet and studied the single sheet of paper very carefully for a few moments, noting that the message was in exactly the same style as the first one they had received a few days ago. Clearly it had to have been sent by the same person. It was on a sheet of bog standard A4 copier paper, the sort you would find used in any office in Oxford or anywhere up and down the country for that matter so that particular aspect of the anonymous message was hardly going to reveal many clues. The words themselves had been produced in exactly the same way as before – obviously cut out of a newspaper and pasted onto the sheet with glue. They were already looking into the type of glue used but so far nothing terribly helpful had come back from forensics.

Even the style of the message was in the same vein but this time the tone was distinctly more threatening, frightening and, above all, bore the air of authenticity. This message read

**I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE**

**SOMETHING BEGINNING WITH D**

** D _ C A _ _ T A _ _ O N**

** CAN YOU GUESS WHAT IT IS IN TIME?**

This time, however, the writer had gone one chilling step further than in his previous communication for underneath those three lines a gallows pole had been drawn in what looked like black felt pen to which the victim's head had already been added, just like in the children's game of hangman. The inference was not lost on Hathaway who had sussed the author's message almost immediately. Five letters were missing from the word and there were five parts of the victim's body left to be drawn: the torso, two arms and two legs.

'It's pretty obvious what the word is,' said Hathaway, looking up at a worried looking Lewis.

'Well I'm not as good as you are at word games, Hathaway. It's a hell of a long time since I played hangman but even I worked out what this was - DECAPITATION.'

Hathaway nodded. 'Whoever sent this even made it easy for us by drawing in just the head? I suppose we've got to take this seriously now.'

'Damn right we do,' said DI Lewis as he pulled up a chair and sat down next to his sergeant who had remained typically calm and composed despite the terrifying nature of the message the anonymous writer had sent them.

'Have any headless bodies turned up since last night?' Hathaway asked with due gravitas and without a hint of a joke in his voice, although it would have been easy for him to have made one.

'Nothing reported so far,' replied Lewis, puffing out his cheeks and shaking his head slowly. 'But if this isn't a hoax, and I don't think it is any more, it can only be a matter of time before one does.'

.


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily has planned a surprise birthday party for Naomi and has invited the rest of the gang up to Oxford for the weekend. Effy turns up a few days early in her boyfriend's car and has a chance meeting with DS Hathaway. Naomi is suspicious that Emily is hiding something from her when her girlfriend gets secretive about a text message she receives from JJ who tells her he has big news to tell them at the weekend. Meanwhile DI Lewis becomes very concerned when an anonymous disturbing note is sent to the police which suggests that a brutal murder is about to be committed.

**CHAPTER TWO: **

When the doorbell rang Emily and Naomi looked across the living room at each other in mild surprise and curiosity. They didn't tend to get many unexpected visitors and even less so early in the afternoon. Their friends in the city knew that was the time of the day that Naomi did most of her work on her thesis and Emily would either be at work or catching up on some urgent domestic matters.

'Who the hell's that?' sighed Naomi, who was having real trouble getting a grip on things that day and was on the verge of writing the whole afternoon off as a dead loss. She had managed to write just two paragraphs in an hour and she wasn't particularly happy about either of them.

'Don't worry, I'll go, 'said Emily, recognising the impatience and irritation in Naomi's tone and she got up and moved towards the hallway. 'I'll try and get rid of them as quick as I can.'

'If it's the God Squad again, pleeease tell them we're practicing Satanists or something like that. DON'T be all nice and polite and keep them wittering on the doorstep for ages like you usually do! Just say 'No, thank you and bugger off!'

Emily giggled at Naomi's suggestion as she moved towards the front door. She knew she was a soft touch compared to her more forthright girlfriend when it came to getting rid of unwanted, though usually well-meaning, callers and door steppers. Naomi even had cause on one occasion to drag Emily kicking and screaming back into the house and slam the door shut on some commendably persistent and highly trained loft insulation salesman who had all but convinced Emily to sign on the dotted line for five hundred pounds worth of work.

When she opened the door and saw who was standing nonchalantly on the doorstep with a typically enigmatic smile on her face she couldn't help letting out a shriek of surprise which she immediately regretted. She quickly spun her head round to see if it had prompted Naomi to get up and follow her to the door, but it hadn't.

'Effy!' she whispered, stepping outside and pulling the door slightly behind her so none of their conversation could be heard. 'What the fuck are you doing here? The party's not till Saturday!'

'I know,' nodded Effy, still grinning in amusement at the look of half-shock, half-confusion on Emily's face, 'but I thought I'd come up a few days earlier and hang out with the two of you. If that's alright with you, of course. I won't get in your way, I promise. If you need your own space and privacy at any time, just tell me and I'll piss off and amuse myself in town. No problem.'

Emily heaved a sigh of relief. 'Ok, that's cool. But you mustn't mention a word about Saturday, Eff! It's still meant to be a big surprise for Naoms, right? You've just come up here on the spur of the moment to see us for a few days, understood?'

Effy nodded and gave Emily an exaggerated wink to show her that the message had been received loud and clear. 'Come here, then,' Effy said, holding her arms out and inviting her friend to give her a big welcoming hug which Emily was more than happy to do.

'Where's your stuff?' asked a bemused Emily after she had freed herself from Effy's warm and heartfelt embrace.

'In the car,' replied Effy, indicating the nifty little sports number behind her which she had parked just inside the drive. 'I didn't want to be too presumptuous in case you told me there was no room at the inn.'

'Impressive. Is it yours?'

'Ummm…sort of,' Effy hesitated, betraying a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. 'Let's just say I've borrowed it for a few days to teach someone a lesson.'

'Fine,' Emily smiled. 'I'm sure you'll tell us the whole story when you're settled. Come on in, Naoms will be getting worried that you might be someone trying to sell me life insurance or double glazing.'

'Oh, if you need some insurance I know someone in the business that could help.'

'Piss off, Eff and get your arse inside,' said Emily pushing a sniggering Effy into the house, whilst her heart skipped several beats for fear that Naomi might start to smell a rat when she saw who their mystery caller had turned out to be.

o_o_o_o_o_

DI Lewis climbed out of his car and made his way grimly to the rubbish dump through the police incident tape which had roped off the scene of the crime and was being guarded by two burly police constables and headed towards where Sgt. Hathaway was patiently standing waiting for his boss.

'So, is this our decapitated corpse we've been expecting, sergeant?' Lewis had been quietly praying all morning they wouldn't get a call to a murder scene like this one but his prayers had been cruelly dashed before the day was out. In his heart of hearts he had been expecting it but he lived in hope that the note would turn out to be nothing more than a practical joke in very bad taste.

'Afraid so, Gov.'

'What have we got on the victim?'

'Nothing so far. No ID, no wallet, no driving licence, no DNA left at the scene – oh, and no head, not yet anyway. We're looking for it.'

DI Lewis grimaced and steeled himself to go over and join Dr Hobson and her team who were preoccupied with the body. Although he had never shared the same degree of disgust and distaste for looking at dead bodies as his old boss Inspector Morse, nevertheless it required a fairly strong stomach and a resolute frame of mind to prepare oneself for the ugly sight of a headless corpse. Fortunately Lewis had a very strong sense of duty to match his stomach and besides he had long since digested his lunch.

'Come on, then. Let's get it over with,' he said and he marched purposefully over to join Laura Hobson with Hathaway a respectful step or two behind him.

'Morning, Doctor,' he said politely and formally to his close professional and increasingly personal friend of many years standing, but without even a hint of a smile such as one might normally greet a close colleague for the first time in the working day.

'Morning, Inspector,' said Laura Hobson, looking up from her position crouched over the body upon which she had been making her routine preliminary examinations. 'Not a pretty sight, I'm afraid.'

'No,' Lewis was forced to agree, wincing ever so slightly at the revolting sight of a headless body stretched out beneath his feet. 'What have you got for us so far?'

'Well, obviously I could tell you a lot more if we had the head. But at this stage all I can say is that our victim is male, probably in his mid-forties, about six feet two, in good physical condition and wherever he was killed, it certainly wasn't here.

'So, killed else where and dumped here,' concluded Hathaway logically. 'Time of death?'

'Can't be precise until I get him back in the lab but I would say he's been dead approximately twelve hours.' Dr Hobson stood up and looked at the two coppers apologetically. 'That's the best I can do for the moment. Sgt Hathaway tells me you've been expecting this?'

Lewis nodded and updated Laura briefly on the message received at the station earlier in the day. Hobson pulled a face and sympathised with her two colleagues who clearly had a particularly warped and sadistic killer on their hands. She suspected this could turn out to be a messy and traumatic enquiry to conduct. She didn't envy them but wisely kept that thought to herself. She knew Lewis and Hathaway were first-rate detectives and would leave no stone unturned in their search for the killer. For her it was only a matter of how long it would take them to catch him, not whether they would ever find him, such was her total confidence in the dynamic duo's powers of detection.

'Well, let's hope uniform branch find the head quickly,' said Lewis to Hathaway, as the two coppers retraced their steps after taking their leave of Dr Hobson. 'That's got to be the first priority. Once we get a head, we can start trying to find an ID. As soon as we've come up with a name, we've got a history, a life to look into. Then we can start to make some progress.'

'Until then we'd be just running around like….'

'Thank you, James!' said Lewis, cutting him short. 'I think I get the picture!'

'Sorry, said a contrite Sgt Hathaway. 'Just a nervous reaction to seeing the body, I guess.'

'Come on, let's get back to the station. We need to find out if they've turned up anything more on those messages. There must be _something _to go on there.'

_o_ o_o_o_o_o_

'So is it all over between you and what's 'is name?' asked Emily, knocking back the final few dribbles of her first stiff drink of the day.

'Shitface, you mean?' Effy shrugged her shoulders indifferently and stretched out on the floor where she had slid down off her seat and couldn't be bothered to get up again. 'I dunno. Maybe, maybe not. It's up to him, I guess. If he stops behaving like a complete arsehole, then I _might_ give him another chance.'

'Or you could just cut your losses and keep the car,' suggested Naomi with a broad grin. 'I know I would. Seems like a fair swap to me. It doesn't sound like he's going to miss it that much. How many did you say he'd got? Four?' At a nod from Effy Naomi warmed to her task of rubbishing any rich, privileged, spoilt brat of a Hooray Henry who took advantage of an insecure, vulnerable, attractive young woman who happened to come his way.

'Three pathetic willy extensions should be more than enough for his tiny mind to cope with, I'd have thought.'

Effy attempted a weak smile but Emily could see that she was upset, despite her concerted attempts to put on a brave face. This guy she'd been going out with for the last six months, whom she'd met soon after returning from Italy, having given up on her attempt at a new life with her Mum and her new stepfather, had clearly upset her with his philandering ways and his complacent and insensitive attitude to her troubled past. She needed a massive pick-me up, thought Emily and she was glad that Effy had turned up on their doorstep out of the blue – it was typically Effy, of course, to appear without warning from nowhere but maybe she badly needed to spend some time amongst real friends who understood the pain she had been going through in recent years and were always ready to be there for her in her darkest moments of despair and loneliness.

'You need cheering up, girl,' Naomi proclaimed confidently, as if determined to justify Emily's conviction that Naomi could see into her mind and read her thoughts. The blonde sat up and reached out for the bottle of vodka which was standing invitingly on the table next to her. Naomi duly concocted a plan on the spot to kick-start the immediate rehabilitation of Effy as a bona fide member of the fun-loving, mischief-making, risk-taking club of young reprobates that they used to be and still strove to remain, despite being too old now to be called irresponsible, carefree, hedonistic teenagers.

'Let's all go out tonight and get completely rat-arsed!' said the blonde pouring herself another generous vodka, although she did show a small sign of her slightly greater maturity by adding the odd dribble or two of orange juice into her half-filled glass.

'There's a great pub we know in town where they have a live band on Wednesday nights,' said Emily. 'Naoms and I go there quite a lot. It's a cool place, you'll like it'

'They've got a 'Happy Hour' from 6.00 till 7.00,' Naomi gleefully informed a much more cheerful and positive-looking Effy who nodded in grateful and whole-hearted approval of the plan.

'Then there's 'Positively Ecstatic Hour' from 8.00 till 9.00 and finally 'Right Off Your Face Hour' from 10.00 till 11.00,'added Emily, letting out an infectious giggle.

The three girls looked at each other with a hint of wild anticipation in their eyes and burst out laughing, clinking glasses as they toasted to the promise of a riotous evening of alcoholic stupor and unashamed female debauchery.

_o_ o_o_o_o_o_

DI Lewis stopped by Chief Superintendent Innocent's office to give her a brief update on the headless body case before leaving for the day. She was as disturbed as he was about the sinister tone that this case had already taken, with the taunting messages being sent to the police, presumably by the murderer, a particular concern for her. That gruesome detail was not being released to the press for the moment on Lewis' instructions and he was explaining his reasons for keeping that quiet.

'I don't want the public to know this killer is making fun of us and playing games with us. Nor do we need the local press whipping up the city into a full-scale panic. We need the public on our side, helping us with any information they might have. We don't want them laughing at us and thinking we're being toyed with, made fools of by some twisted individual with a liking for children's games.'

'I agree, Robbie,' said Innocent sympathetically. 'Let's keep that detail under wraps for now. The press will probably find out about eventually – they always find a way somehow – but for the moment let's keep it in-house. Is there any news on the head?'

Innocent didn't bat an eyelid or show the slightest signs of revulsion as she asked her question, being far too long in the tooth and battle-hardened a copper to be visibly affected by news of such a brutal and headline-making killing.

Lewis shook his head. 'Nothing yet but we're searching everywhere within a five mile radius of where the body was found. It'll turn up somewhere. I just hope it's one of our lads that finds it and not some member of the public.'

'Yes, that would be very distressing,' agreed Innocent. 'Okay, Robbie, keep me posted.' She was about to carry on with her paperwork and allow Lewis to take his leave when her memory was suddenly jogged and she called cheerily over to him as he was going out of the door.

'Oh, what's this I hear about you going on a date with our favourite pathologist?'

DI Lewis wheeled round with a stern, disgruntled look on his face that threatened to suggest it might develop into something approaching anger and resentment. 'Who's been telling you that pack of lies, Ma'am?' he said brusquely though his twitching fingers betrayed the immense concentration required of him to keep his cool.

'It's okay, Lewis, calm down! I'm not having a go at you! Quite the opposite, in fact. If you want to know, I think it's high time you two got together.'

'We're NOT going out on a date! I don't know where you got that from. Was it Hathaway? If it was, I'll be having words with him tomorrow.'

'It wasn't Sergeant Hathaway, so you've no reason to bring the subject up with him at all. I don't remember who told me, somebody in the office mentioned it in passing, I think. Why is it such a problem for you? Everyone knows the two of you get on really well- it's hardly a secret, you've been colleagues for ten years now. What's your problem?'

'There's no _problem_, Ma'am,' .Lewis said with more than a touch of prickliness and frustration. 'I just don't like it when people get the wrong end of the stick and poke their noses into other people's business.'

Innocent looked at Lewis with a hint of disappointment in her eyes. 'So…. you're not seeing her tonight at all, then?'

Lewis hesitated and, so it seemed to Innocent, blushed ever so slightly, before clearing his throat a couple of times and replying, his eyes pointedly not looking at her. 'Well, yes, if you MUST know, I am. But it's _not _a date or anything remotely like it. I'm just going round to her place for dinner. She invited me and she's….. a very good cook, if you must know and I don't tend to bother much at home, being on my own. It'll make a nice change, that's all - just a couple of friends getting together for a pleasant evening. Nothing more than that, Ma'am.'

Innocent beamed, though Lewis couldn't work out if it was a smile borne of triumphant vindication or one of sympathetic understanding. He left without saying another word, though he made a mental note to try to find out as soon as possible which member of his supposedly trusted and loyal team was idly speculating about his personal life. If he ever did track down the culprit he intended to give them a right bollocking in private.

_o_ o_o_o_o_o_

'Come on, Effy, the band's going on in five minutes.' Emily had stuck her head round the door of the pub and called over to Effy who was sitting on a bench outside smoking a cigarette. She was taking a short time-out from the non-stop drinking the three girls had been indulging in that evening and was trying to get her head straight about her personal life and her feelings for her problematic boyfriend.

'Okay, I'll be there in a second,' she replied, smiling bravely through a wafer thin veil of tears which she had been trying unsuccessfully to hold back for the last few minutes and which she hoped Emily hadn't noticed. She stubbed her cigarette out and attended briefly to her face, wiping away all traces of her tears and reapplying a bit of makeup to camouflage as best she could all evidence of her emotional outpourings.

By the time she had rejoined the other two, who had clearly made the most of a brief interlude of privacy to snatch a few intimate moments of romantic physical exchanges, they were reluctantly pulling out of their passionate kiss and turning their attention back to their troubled visitor. Effy smiled knowingly at them, fanned her face with her hands in mock embarrassment at catching them in mid-snog and pretended to be all hot and bothered at such an unselfconscious public display of love and affection.

'Are you sure you two want me to be here? I must be really cramping your style and holding you back!'

'Of course we do, Ef. You're not holding us back at all,' Naomi sought to reassure their considerate and caring friend. 'We don't usually have sex in the ladies here until much, much later on in the evening.'

The three girls burst into a fit of giggles, giggles which soon developed into full-scale hysterical laughter once they saw a couple of guys on the next table to them suddenly swivel their heads round and stare at them in open-mouthed disbelief. Naomi would have taken the joke further still in a concerted effort to wind up and titillate the gullible and gormless pervs some more if the band hadn't at that moment taken to the stage to a generous round of applause which would have drowned out any further alcohol-fuelled raucous comments she had half a mind to make.

The band soon launched into their first song and the girls turned their attention away from the goggle-eyed lechers on the next table and focused solely on the traditional four-piece group of singer, lead guitarist, bass and drums. By the end of the first number which Naomi thought wasn't too bad and worthy of some applause, the blonde turned to whisper a few words to Emily but stopped. She had caught sight of Effy, sitting on the other side of Emily seemingly transfixed, her gaze never moving away for a second from the guitarist, a half-smile of fascination and curiosity visible on her face. The singer mumbled a few indistinct words, as is often the style nowadays, which may well have been an introduction to the next number but could just have easily been the sound of a station announcer sucking a large boiled sweet announcing on the tannoy the arrival of the next train with his mouth pressed too close to a clapped out microphone.

The first half of the band's energetic and well-received set lasted about twenty-five minutes at the end of which the group got down from the makeshift stage and predictably made a beeline for the bar to grab some much needed lubrication and refreshment.

Effy immediately stood up and said she would get the next round in before Naomi or Emily could either protest or refuse (neither of which was very likely). The impatient brunette timed her move to perfection, skilfully inching her way through the crowd to reach the front of the bar at the same moment as the tall, lean, fair haired guitarist whom she expertly contrived to bump into accidentally.

He turned round to apologise but the words were cut short in his mouth upon recognising a familiar face looking up at him with a convincing look of surprise etched all over it.

'Why! Detective Sergeant Hathaway! Fancy meeting you here! How lovely to see you again.'

If Hathaway had any inkling that this was no chance meeting at a crowded pub bar then he hid such suspicions with consummate ease. 'Effy…. Stonem?' he replied, raising one eyebrow to seek confirmation that his recent memory had not failed him. 'I take it you managed to find somewhere to park your car legally, then?'

'I'm staying with old friends for a few days,' nodded Effy in the vague direction of Naomi and Emily who were already staring over at them with perfectly matching quizzical expressions.

'So, you're a detective sergeant AND a guitarist in a band? Is there no end to your talents?' said Effy, her wide eyes twinkling with amusement as they both waited patiently to be served.

'Well, it's always good to have something else to fall back on if things don't quite work out the way you hope they will.'

Effy nodded sympathetically. 'I agree, James. So, if you don't make it as a rock legend then at least you've still got your police career.'

Hathaway smiled at Effy and for the second occasion in a short space of time he couldn't help admiring and inwardly applauding the quick-witted, confident air of the young woman who stood next to him. 'Something like that,' he said and gave his order to the barman who had finally turned to him . 'Can I buy you a drink?' he enquired, 'assuming you're not driving tonight.'

'Thank you, but I'm fine. I'm getting a round in for my friends.'

'Okay,' said Hathaway, 'maybe another time, then?'

'Oh, definitely, James. You can count on that. I'm sure we'll bump into one another again this week. In fact…..' Effy turned her head slightly and glanced over towards Naomi and Emily who were grinning inanely across the room at her and giggling like two silly schoolgirls who had just spotted some fresh faced boy secretively eyeing them up.

'What?' said Hathaway, following Effy's eyes over towards the two girls who broke out into even more girly sniggering when they saw him looking at them.

'I've just had a wicked idea, James. Are you doing anything this Saturday night?'

Hathaway hesitated a fraction, hardly daring to speculate what he might be getting himself into if he gave the honest answer which was no.

'Because, if you are free, then I would love to invite you to a party as my special guest. One of my embarrassing giggling friends over there is being thrown a surprise birthday party by her partner who's the other embarrassing giggling friend. I'm sure they won't mind in the least if you come along. In fact, I think I shall be really upset if you turn me down.'

Hathaway looked Effy straight in the eyes, wide piercing eyes which remained steady, confident and almost hypnotic and he debated silently whether it might be more dangerous to refuse this remarkable young woman's impromptu invitation than it would be to accept it.

'Okay,' he said eventually, 'thank you, I'll come – if you're sure your friends won't mind.'

'Oh, they won't mind at all. In fact, I'm sure they're already dying to meet you! Have you a number I can call you on?

Hathaway dug a hand deep into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out his business card which he gave to Effy with a smile. 'I'll call you in a day or two and let you know the time and place,' said Effy who watched keenly as Hathaway picked up his free drinks, gave her a comically formal and stiff nod of farewell and moved back into the crowd.

.


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Effy turns up at Naomi and Emily's house with the plan of hanging out with the girls for a few days. Lewis and Hathaway are called to the scene of a headless corpse found at a rubbish dump. The three girls have a boozy night out at the pub to cheer up Effy who is having boyfriend problems. At the pub Effy runs into Sgt Hathaway again who is playing guitar in the pub band. Lewis is furious to find out that officers are speculating about his relationship with Hobson.

**CHAPTER THREE: **

**PART 1**

Naomi and Emily rolled over onto their backs, panting heavily and trying to regain their breath, their eyes closed as if to savour the very last drop of sweet delight that each had given the other. There wasn't a sound to be heard in the house save for their increasingly controlled and rhythmic breathing as the sun filtered in through a crack in the curtains to cast delicate patterns of light on their flushed, contented faces.

After a minute or two of peaceful recuperation back to the land of the living, Emily turned on her side, reached out a hand and gently yet lovingly caressed her long, delicate fingers through Naomi's hair, which shone almost like silver in the morning half-light. 'Wow!' said the redhead, with a shy grin on her face, 'that was pretty mind-blowing.'

'Yeah,' agreed Naomi, turning to face her girlfriend. 'But next time Ems, try not to bang the wall so hard. There's not much point covering your face with a pillow to muffle your groans if you're going to wake the whole neighbourhood, never mind anyone in the house, by bringing the walls down.'

'Oh, shit! I didn't, did I?' Emily sat upright and looked aghast at Naomi who burst out laughing at the sight of Emily's terribly serious and horrified expression.

'You were priceless,' chuckled the blonde who never ceased to be amazed at how dreadfully shy and embarrassed Emily still managed to be at the thought of anybody overhearing them have sex. 'I can't imagine for one second that Effy would give a toss or be the slightest bit embarrassed if we had sex right in front of her in the living room. Besides, after the amount she put away last night I should imagine she's still out like a light.'

The two of them laughed and after enjoying a five minute cuddle they reluctantly dragged themselves out of bed, threw on a few clothes and went downstairs to see if Effy was still fast asleep. As Naomi had accurately predicted, Effy hadn't even made it up the stairs to the spare room where the girls had made up the sofa bed. She was still spark out on the sofa where they had left her in the small hours of the morning, dreamily hugging half a bottle of white wine. They tiptoed out of the living room and went into the kitchen to make breakfast.

'So, who was this guy she was coming on to big time last night?' asked Naomi as they sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee and eating marmite soldiers, a particular breakfast favourite of Naomi's which Emily had been converted to in recent times.

'I don't know, she wouldn't say. I think she met him in town some time yesterday when she arrived but she was being very secretive and mysterious about him. He was quite good-looking, though, don't you think?'

Naomi wrinkled her nose in that cute way that Emily adored as she considered the proposition a while before answering 'Too tall, too fair, too dull-looking, too….male,' she concluded, which elicited a warm smile from Emily. Before Emily could challenge Naomi's withering put-down of Sgt Hathaway a groan emanated from beyond the kitchen, indeed one might have ventured to suggest from beyond the grave, such was its chilling intensity and blood-curdling anguish. As the two girls exchanged knowing, amused looks Effy suddenly appeared in the doorway a few moments later. She was hanging on to the door for dear life and looked like death warmed up; hair all over the place, make-up smudged and face as white as a sheet. She peered over at the two girls through bloodshot eyes, yawning hideously, a true picture of early morning loveliness and grace.

'Hi, Gorgeous! You're looking hot this morning.' Naomi said to Effy with a wicked grin and howled with laughter as Effy returned the jovial, tongue in cheek greeting with a coughing fit, which may or may not have been brought on by the cigarette on which she was now puffing furiously in a futile attempt to get some fresh smoke into her already clogged up lungs.

'Do you want some coffee, Ef?' asked Emily who instinctively moved forward to help her as she rather unsteadily staggered over towards the kitchen table and slumped down next to them in a chair. Naomi whistled softly under her breath. It had been a long time since she had seen Effy look as rough as a badger's arse first thing in the morning. She knew the three of them had knocked back a right old skinful in the pub the previous evening but Effy must have carried on drinking on her own long after she and Emily had turned in for the night for her to be in such a state this morning.

'Black, very strong and lots of it, please,' croaked Effy as she put her head in her hands and tried to focus on the room, the table, anything in fact just to stop her head from spinning out of control and dropping off her shoulders.

A quarter of an hour later and after chucking down her neck three piping hot cups of coffee so strong it could have doubled up as paint stripper, Effy felt sufficiently invigorated and revitalised to attempt something approaching civilised conversation as Naomi got ready to go into college and Emily busied herself in the kitchen.

'How come you're not at work?' asked Effy, gradually waking up and feeling more with it as she sat marvelling at Emily's domesticity and wifely skills which she knew would have been way beyond her capabilities.

'I've taken the week off,' said Emily. 'I was due a week's leave so I thought this would be a good time to take it, you know.' She winked at Effy and nodded in the direction of Naomi who was getting her stuff together in the living room next door. Effy looked at her blankly for a second then the penny dropped and she nodded, though not without wincing a little as the throbbing in her head hadn't completely disappeared.. 'Good idea. So how's work going, anyway? Have you had your name appear in the paper yet?'

'Not yet,' sighed Emily with more than a hint of frustration. 'I'm still just 'a local correspondent'. I haven't been there long enough yet to deserve to get my own name in print.'

'Oh, well, never mind. I'm sure it'll happen soon enough. As soon as you stumble upon your first big story they won't be able to keep your name out of the report. What sort of stories are you covering?'

'Oh, really exciting stuff like the fire brigade being called out to rescue a cat stuck up a tree, or the latest council plans for improving the street lighting, you know, really juicy stories like that. Something you can really get your teeth into and use to develop your reporting skills.'

'Be fair, Em,' said Naomi, as she came into the kitchen looking for some fruit to take with her to college,' three months ago all you were doing was making the tea, running errands and buying everyone's sandwiches at lunchtime. What they're giving you to do now is real progress from just being the office dogsbody.' Naomi didn't bother to hide the withering sarcasm as she had long thought the local paper was taking the piss. They were blatantly wasting Emily's undoubted potential as a talented writer by fobbing her off with menial tasks or sending her out to report on stupid crap 'human interest' stories that were of bugger all interest to anyone. If she had been Emily she would have kicked up the mother of all fusses long before now.

'Everyone's got to start somewhere, Naoms,' Emily pointed out calmly. 'I bet even Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward spent the first couple of months making the tea. It doesn't matter what job you're in, when it's your first one you have to expect to start at the bottom of the ladder and then work your way up gradually.'

'That's all very well,' muttered a clearly unimpressed and unconvinced Naomi as she kissed Emily sweetly on the lips and waved goodbye to Effy, 'but they could at least have _given_ you a fucking ladder, couldn't they?' Emily smiled ruefully as Naomi left the two girls behind and then looked over at Effy who pulled a face in sympathy.

'Do you fancy the idea of some fresh air and a bit of a walk? I could show you around some of the colleges and we could stroll along the river before grabbing lunch'

Effy marvelled at the beautiful simplicity of Emily's plan. 'Sounds just what I need to blow away the cobwebs in my head,' she said with a gesture of relief.

**PART 2**

Sergeant Hathaway listened intently and with growing disquiet to the message from the station before hanging up and waiting for Detective Inspector Lewis to emerge from the card shop holding the item he had popped in to purchase.

'Sir, it looks like we've found the head.'

'So, uniform have finally stumbled across it, have they?' Lewis ventured to presume.

'No sir,' said a grave looking Hathaway. 'It's turned up at the office of the local newspaper.'

'What?' said a stunned Lewis, staring in disbelief at his equally perplexed and agitated sergeant.

'It was left outside the offices in a box, Sir, about fifteen minutes ago. It was addressed to the chief editor of the paper.'

'This is not good, Hathaway. This killer's playing more games with us. He wants to get the press involved in the case. When we didn't go public with the notes he sent us, he decided he would go straight to the press himself – in the sickest way he could think of. Come on, we'd better get over there fast and try some damage limitation.'

'There's more, Sir, apparently. He's left a note with the head.'

DI Lewis's shoulders twitched visibly and Hathaway could have sworn he also noticed him give a slight shudder. 'What was the message?'

'I don't know, Sir. They didn't say.'

'Not another bloody riddle for us to solve? A clue as to his next victim?'

Hathaway looked at his boss in silence and then followed him over to his car. He had a nasty feeling this was going be a long and painful afternoon. Ten minutes later the two detectives were sitting in the offices of the Oxford Herald with a badly shaken and seriously stirred chief editor. The severed head had been briefly inspected by Lewis and Hathaway before being taken away by the police forensics team to be examined in detail by Dr. Hobson. Lewis was reading the note which had been left with the head, sickeningly and deliberately left sticking out of the unfortunate victim's mouth.

'What the hell does this mean?' said a bewildered Inspector Lewis. '**'In such ugly times, the only true protest is beauty'' **Sergeant, you're the one for the quotes, normally. Can you throw any light on where this comes from?'

Hathaway took the note held out to him by Lewis in its sealed plastic wallet and read it carefully, before staring hard into the distance in intense concentration. He shook his head sadly before handing it back to Lewis. 'I'm sorry, Sir, it isn't a quote that I recognise. I'll make some enquiries to see if it shows up anywhere. It could be one of the lesser known poets or philosophers, I suppose.'

'Of course you'd know if it was from Shakespeare or Keats or any of that lot, wouldn't you?' Lewis often made light fun of Hathaway's literary and intellectual knowledge and tastes and yet they had often proved invaluable in their investigations so he was disappointed that this time Hathaway was at a loss to explain the source of the quote.

'Well, there's nothing particularly beautiful about this crime, is there, sergeant? Is that what all this is about, do you think - some bitter and twisted political or religious protest about something or other?'

'I don't know, Sir. It strikes me as something more…personal than that.'

'Such as what?'

Hathaway gave a slight shrug of the shoulders. 'It could be anything. But why send the head to the local paper? What was the killer trying to achieve unless it was simply to embarrass us and make sure he got maximum publicity. The papers are already full of the murder as it is.'

DI Lewis went over to the chief editor who was finishing off the stiff drink he had poured for himself to steady his nerves. 'Can you think of any reason why this…package might have been left here, Mr Wells?'

The chief editor shook his head from side to side and looked up at Lewis, utterly bewildered. 'I haven't got a clue, Inspector.'

'Can you think of anyone whom you might have upset recently - you know, maybe because of some article that's been published in the paper?'

'This is the Oxford Herald, Inspector, not the Sunday Times or the News of the World! We don't tend to go in for major political exposes or lurid sex revelations.'

Lewis nodded sympathetically. He could see the man was still suffering from shock but he needed to get as much out of him as he could. 'But has the paper run any special local stories or campaigns recently which have attracted a lot of attention from the public? Have you received any letters, perhaps, from disgruntled or angry members of the public? Has anything unusual or out of the ordinary happened at the paper recently, anything at all?'

Mr Wells considered the question for a few brief seconds then shook his head again. 'Nothing springs to mind, Inspector. Look here, we're just an ordinary little local newspaper that runs stories about ordinary local news. I can't imagine there's anything that we've printed that could upset someone so much that it would make them want to…do something as vile as that.' He reached for the whisky again and poured another large shot, his hand shaking noticeably. The two detectives thanked the chief editor for his help and left him to recover in peace.

'What about missing persons, Hathaway? Has anyone been reported missing in the last twenty-four hours?'

'The team are checking up on it, gov. We should get something soon. Besides, if Dr Hobson confirms the head belongs to our corpse from the rubbish dump…..' but Lewis interrupted him with a pained expression on his face.

'Good God, Hathaway! I don't even want to think about the head not matching up! We'd have _two_ decapitations on our hands if it doesn't.'

**PART 3**

'It's a really lovely spot here,' remarked Effy as she finished off the last of the cheese and washed it down with a gulp of fizzy drink. She was glad that she had allowed Emily to persuade her to have an impromptu picnic by the river as their lunch rather than find a café or pub in town. The sun was shining down very pleasantly on the two girls as they lay on the river bank and watched the occasional punt drift past and the ducks fight with each other for the scraps of bread that they threw over into the river.

'Yeah, Naoms and I love it. We often make up a picnic at the weekend and come here and find a nice quiet spot on the bank, just to enjoy the scenery. It's so beautiful and…restful.'

Effy smiled at Emily's charming description of the simple pleasures that she and Naomi took from life which sounded a far cry from her own complicated, tortured, lonely existence. She envied them though she would never have said as much to their faces.

'So, is everything all set up for Saturday?' The brunette lay on her back with her arms behind her head, looking up at the few wispy clouds that were drifting slowly across a bright blue sky.

'Pretty much, I think. I've got all the food and drink in. I've hidden it all in the cupboard under the stairs. Naomi hardly ever goes in there so it should be fairly safe.'

'Who's coming to the party?'

'Well, Katie of course and JJ and Lara have said they're definitely coming now which is great. I'm still waiting to hear from Panda. You know she's back in England, don't you?'

Effy sat upright and looked at Emily surprised and, if truth be told, just a little hurt. She hadn't heard from Pandora for quite a while now. They used to be such close friends when they were at school, best friends even, despite being such complete opposites, but now it seemed they had become almost strangers to each other.

'No, I didn't. Why? What's happened?'

'She and Thomas have split up – for good this time. It was never going to work really. He was always away, travelling around the world competing at race meetings while she was stuck at home on her own, working on her PhD. She couldn't take the loneliness any more, I think. She was missing her Mum, Bristol, us, as well, I think'

Maybe they hadn't drifted so far apart after all, thought Effy. It sounded as if the normally ever cheerful and happy-go-lucky Pandora was suffering the same painful fits of depression and despair as she had been. .

'Poor Panda,' said Effy quietly. 'I hope she does get in touch and come up this weekend. It would be good to see her again. I miss her.' She fell silent and thoughtful, a sad expression creeping over her face as she thought of the last time she spoke to Panda which must have been over a year ago. Effy knew she had always been rubbish at keeping in touch with people, it was her fault they had drifted apart, she readily acknowledged that fact.

'We'll still have a great night even if Panda can't make it. I've invited a few of the students and lecturers from Naoms' department and some people from my office as well. There should be about twenty of us in all.'

'Um….. you might need to make that twenty-one,' said Effy sitting up and putting on a vaguely apologetic expression for Emily's benefit.

'What do you mean?' replied a bemused Emily.

'Well, I've asked a guest to the party. I thought you probably wouldn't mind, seeing as there were going to be quite a few other people there I didn't know.'

'Who?' Emily was intrigued and stared at a half smiling Effy a few seconds before it dawned on her who Effy was referring to. 'Oh, hang on a second. Don't tell me it's the guy you were talking to last night in the pub, the guitarist in the band?'

Effy nodded and flashed a broad grin as Emily's mouth shot open in amused astonishment. 'Why, you cheeky cow! You've only just met him, for Christ's sake!'

'I know but…I like him. I know I hardly know him but he interests me and I like interesting men. Most of the ones I tend to meet nowadays are so fucking ….dull and boring.'

'Well, I suppose playing in a band isn't your average job. That must be quite fun and interesting.'

'Oh, that's not his real job. That's just a hobby.'

'So what does he do then when he's not playing in a pub band?'

'He's a Detective Sergeant in the Thames Valley CID.'

Emily's eyes stared wide at Effy in total disbelief. 'Fuck off! You have got to be kidding me! You- going out with a copper? I've heard it all now.'

'I'm _not_ going out with him, Em. I'm just inviting him along to a party, that's all. It's no big deal. I'll probably never see him again after the weekend. Anyway he might not even turn up. He probably just accepted the invitation to get rid of me.'

Emily scoffed at the idea that a bloke might actually stand Effy up. She couldn't imagine for the life of her that Effy had ever been stood up in her whole life. What normal, straight, intelligent guy would pass up the opportunity to spend an evening in her company? All the same, Emily made a quick mental note to make sure that all the weed in the house was either well hidden or fully used up before Saturday night. Sure, she wanted the party to be a huge surprise for Naomi but getting herself, her girlfriend and all the guests busted by the police for possession of illegal substances by a copper who was actually at the party was not part of her plans for a memorable night.

**PART 4**

Lewis and Hathaway looked at Dr Hobson expectantly as she concluded her examination of the head that had been delivered to the Oxford Herald.

'Well, I can confirm that you've only got one dead body to investigate. This head definitely came from the body you brought in the other day,' she said to Lewis' obvious relief.

'Thank God for that,' he said. 'Anything else you can tell us? What did the killer use, for instance?'

'Well, I can't be precise, but I would suggest something like a common or garden saw. But the killer knew what he was doing. It was quite a neat and tidy decapitation. You'd need to be a pretty cool customer to carry out such an operation without making a complete mess of it.'

'Presumably the decapitation was done after death, Doctor, so how did he die?' asked Hathaway.

Hobson motioned towards the back of the victim's head and invited the two detectives to come round and have a look. 'Blow to the back of the head with some kind of blunt instrument. Basically his skull was smashed in. That was the cause of death. But why saw his head off? It seems so unnecessary.'

'Why indeed, Doctor,' said Lewis, staring uncomfortably at the victim.

'Obviously he was trying to make a point of some kind,' suggested Hathaway. 'Sawing his head off was a conscious decision by this killer. He must have had his reasons. It wasn't enough for this guy just to die, cutting his head off must mean something, even if only symbolically for him.'

'And why send the head to the local paper?' Hobson added, looking as perplexed as the two coppers. 'If cutting it off was as important to the murderer as killing his victim, why not leave it with the body where he dumped it?

'Another good question, Doctor. You're full of them today.' Hathaway forced a weak smile at Dr Hobson who had echoed their thoughts precisely. This case had already thrown up several oddities which were baffling the hell out of them at this early stage.

Hathaway's mobile suddenly cut through the awkward, heavy silence that had descended on the three colleagues whilst they rattled a few preliminary ideas and theories around in their minds. The sergeant moved away from the other two and went over to the lab door to take the call, leaving Lewis briefly free to speak to Dr Hobson in private.

'I just wanted to say thanks again for last night,' he said in a low voice, anxious that Hathaway shouldn't overhear their conversation. 'I really enjoyed the evening.' He hoped that the furtive smile which he gave Laura whilst turning his back on Hathaway was evidence enough that he was speaking from the heart.

'So did I, Robbie. You must come round again. I enjoyed cooking for you. I hope it made a nice change for you from cooking your own meals.'

'Oh, I don't do much cooking at home,' said Lewis apologetically. 'I've never been much good in the kitchen.'

'Oh, Robbie, don't tell me you're still surviving on those awful Meals for One from the supermarket.'

'Why aye,' said Lewis in his broad Geordie twang which had a tendency to come out of nowhere at the most unexpected moments. 'And Chinese and Indian takeaways too, of course. I do have a bit of variety in my diet, Doctor!'

Laura Hobson giggled as she smiled at Lewis and her eyes sparkled with an easy warmth and reassuring kindness which even an essentially shy and reserved old sweat of a copper like Lewis couldn't fail to spot and respond to in kind. But before they could continue their conversation Hathaway had hung up and rejoined them, his solemn face suggesting that more bad news was about to be delivered.

'What is it, sergeant,' Lewis asked with a heavy heart, noticing Hathaway's expression and fearing the worst.

'We've received another anonymous message at the station, gov,' he replied.

'Come on then, we'd better get back. I can't wait to see what hilarious riddle our joker has come up with this time,'

'I think you'll find the Joker and the Riddler are two different characters, Sir,' said Hathaway and Laura Hobson was forced to put her hand to her mouth to prevent a snigger coming out. But DI Lewis wasn't in the mood to appreciate Hathaway's little witticism. He was livid that this sick individual was pissing them around again and, far worse even, had caused his enjoyable private moment with the dear Doctor to be brought to an untimely early conclusion.

'Oh, very funny,' he said, pointedly not laughing. 'I look forward to seeing you start acting like a proper super-hero, then, Robin.'

**PART 5**

Naomi knocked on the door of Professor Greaves' study and after waiting a few seconds for a response that never came, pulled down on the door handle and confidently entered the room. Despite the door usually being closed Naomi's Professor was known throughout the Department for having an 'open door' policy and rarely insisted on callers being made to wait until they were officially admitted with a loud 'Enter!' into the hallowed chamber of learning.

Naomi had only intended to stay briefly to hand in some coursework and have a quick five minute chat about the progress of her thesis so she wasn't totally put out to find that the room was empty. Clearly Professor Greaves had popped out for a moment as the huge desk which dominated the study was covered in papers, the computer was still on and a jacket was draped around the back of the comfortable and expensive leather chair. After muttering a mild 'Oh, bollocks!' under her breath, she decided not to hang around waiting but just leave her coursework right in the middle of the desk on top of all the other papers where the Prof couldn't possibly miss it. She walked round the side of the desk and leaned over it to place her file in a suitably conspicuous spot and without deliberately meaning to, she couldn't help but notice the computer screen which displayed her professor's email inbox and one particular email which was open and which the professor must have been reading before having left the room.

Before she could stop herself from nosily prying into someone else's private business, which of course she knew to be wrong, Naomi glanced up at the screen and was startled to see that the email in question had come from Emily. The message was only a couple of lines long so it took her next to no time to read it but what she read instantly made her heart almost stop beating, an icy chill run down her spine and her stomach tie itself up in knots.

'_Hi Ellie!_

_Just checking you're still definitely on for Saturday. I really, really hope you can make it. I'm so excited, I can hardly wait. Please, please, please don't say anything to Naomi. This has got to be a secret. I'll be absolutely devastated if she finds out!_

_See you soon!_

_Emily_

_x _

More than the content of the message itself which in Naomi's eyes was excruciating enough, that one final small kiss at the end of the email felt like a dagger being ruthlessly driven through her fluttering heart. She felt her legs shake and give way beneath her and she almost collapsed into the chair without making a conscious decision to sit down and have a quiet think about things. She was totally stunned and her mind was so scrambled by what she'd read that it was almost impossible for her to start thinking logically and rationally as she would otherwise have done. What the fuck was going on here? Was Emily seeing her professor behind her back? They were definitely planning to meet up on Saturday, the email made that quite clear and their meeting was supposed to be a secret, one that had to be kept from her at all costs!

JESUS CHRIST!

Naomi felt close to breaking down and bursting into tears and probably would have done so if she hadn't become aware of the sound of people talking from outside the room. It sounded quite distant though so probably they were a fair way down the corridor or perhaps even around the corner. She was seized with a sudden fit of panic. The one thing she knew she just couldn't face was seeing her professor right now. She had to get away from there fast and find somewhere to sit on her own and think things through. She rushed over to the door and peeped out, looking both ways down the corridor. Sure enough, there was her professor engrossed in conversation with another student down at the far end of the passage. Naomi didn't stop to think – she just fled down the corridor in the opposite direction, not caring one iota where she was going, anywhere suited her fine just so long as it was far away from her prof's study and that gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, stomach-churning email from Emily.

_o_ o_o_o_o_o_

.


	4. Chapter 4

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Effy wakes up feeling really rough after the previous evening's drinking excesses. The decapitated victim's head turns up in a box left at the offices of the local newspaper with a cryptic quote. Effy confesses to Emily over lunch that she has invited Sgt Hathaway to Naomi's surprise party on Saturday night. A second anonymous warning from the killer arrives at the police station. Naomi accidentally sees an email sent by Emily to her professor and jumps to the conclusion that the two women might be having a secret relationship behind her back.

**CHAPTER FOUR: **

**PART 1**

Naomi took out her packet of fags from her bag and lit up a fresh one with still slightly shaking hands. This was her third cigarette in the last twenty minutes and she inhaled deeply on it, just as he had done with the first two, before puffing out the thick rings of smoke into the warm afternoon air. She took some deep breaths and willed herself to focus her mind on thinking about the situation coolly, calmly and rationally when really every fibre and sinew of her body was telling her that what she really needed to do was to just let out a terrifying scream and cry her eyes out.

Maybe she was jumping to conclusions. Just because Ems had arranged to meet up with her professor didn't necessarily mean they were having an affair, surely! But if it was such an innocent appointment, why keep it a secret from her? What could they have to talk about? Naomi furrowed her brow as she tried desperately to recall snatches of conversation that she had witnessed Emily having with Professor Eleanor Greaves since she had started at Oxford. Emily had met Ellie (as she allowed her friends and favourite students to call her) on a number of occasions, usually social functions like departmental lunchtime drinks or the occasional group outing to the pub, not forgetting of course Ellie's famous Christmas dinner party where everyone got well and truly pissed and the evening ended with a succession of hilarious parlour games which Naomi remembered both of them enjoying immensely.

But she had no recollection of Emily being particularly struck by Ellie or making any comments about how gorgeous she was or how lucky Naomi was to have such a fantastic professor to mentor her through the year. Okay, Naomi had to admit, Eleanor Greaves was an attractive woman, everyone at Oxford thought so whether they were straight or gay. Tall, confident, amusing and hugely intelligent without being arrogant or condescending with lesser mortals, she looked many years younger than her forty-two years. She attracted admiring looks and complimentary remarks wherever she went, from men and women alike although only those people who knew her well were aware she was gay. In that respect she was a private woman who didn't flaunt her sexuality for all to see.

But Ellie was almost twice their age! The whole idea was preposterous, Naomi told herself. If Emily was going to be unfaithful to her, she would _never_ have chosen someone SO much older than her. It didn't make sense, it just didn't stack up, no matter what angle she looked at it. Besides which, Ems wouldn't do that to her anyway. They loved each other too much. Ems loved her too much. Ems knew only too well how much hurt and pain and unbearable suffering an act of infidelity could cause, however thoughtless, brief and fundamentally meaningless it might have been. Ems would never do that to her! Why would she? Just to get her own back? But that was all years ago, long before they had seriously looked upon themselves as a true couple, hopelessly and joyously in love, happy to proclaim their feelings for each other before the eyes of the whole world.

_**So, what the fuck was this secret meeting all about?**_!

If Emily wasn't secretly carrying on with Ellie, then why did she need to see her, why was she _so excited_ at the prospect of seeing her tomorrow? Naomi couldn't imagine what the reason could be but she was now absolutely determined to find out. She stood up, her jaw set firm in resolute determination, took one last long drag on her cigarette and sent the butt flying through the air with a flick of her thumb and forefinger in a gesture of defiance. She had made her mind up. She would follow Emily tomorrow without her knowing and see where she met up with Eleanor and try to find out why! Her girlfriend, the love of her life, her soul mate _may_ not have been having an affair, of that she had now convinced herself, but she was clearly up to something fishy involving her professor and Naomi intended to get to the bottom of it.

**PART 2**

DI Lewis and DS Hathaway stood looking at the latest message sent to the Thames Valley CID offices, each with a sinking heart and a pained expression on their faces. As they had justifiably feared, this appeared to be yet another premonition of brutal homicide, delivered in the murder's playfully chilling and macabre, not to say very unique style of communication.

**I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE**

**SOMETHING CONCLUDING WITH T**

**_I_ _M_O_ E_ _EN_**

**THIS IS A MUCH TRICKIER ONE TO SOLVE. GOOD LUCK!**

'Why has he changed the rhyme? He's made the puzzle 'concluding with', rather than 'beginning with' like it was last time.' Lewis stared at Hathaway in utter confusion, as if seeking divine inspiration from his sergeant which Hathaway noticed and felt under immediate though unrealistic pressure to provide.

'I've no idea, Sir,' replied Hathaway. 'Perhaps…..' but he continued no further, falling silent and biting his lip in seemingly studied concentration.

'What?'

Hathaway shook his head, nonplussed. 'Maybe he thought it would be too easy to work out if he said what the first letter was. He clearly wants us to struggle to get the answer, doesn't he? This is a much trickier one, he says. Good luck! He's deliberately made it much harder than last time. I mean, there's no drawing to help us get it quickly, is there?'

'For God's sake, Hathaway, what the hell is this guy playing at! He's running rings round us all. What's his reason for sending us these messages, anyway? It's hardly a plea for help, is it? He's not exactly saying _I know what I'm doing is wrong, I want you to stop me, I want you to catch me before it's too late, before I've committed another brutal murder._'

'Even if we do work out what the word is, how will it help us? It's not much of a clue, is it, whatever it is. Unless of course this time the missing word isn't _how_ he's going to kill his nest victim but who it is or where it'll happen or something like that.'

'Well, I'll leave you to try and work out what the word might be. Let's assume for the moment that it is like the last one. Se what you can come up with, okay.'

Hathaway nodded and sat down to give the message his fullest attention. 'The killer's obviously well educated, Sir.'

'How do you work that out, sergeant?' asked a rather sceptical Lewis. There was nothing that he could see to be admired in this weirdo's character that spoke of a decent educational upbringing and intellect.

'Well, he deliberately chose to use the word _concluding. _Most ordinary people like you or mewould have said _ending_, wouldn't they?'

'**I **would have done, sergeant. I'm not so sure about you, though,' Lewis conjectured, raising an enquiring eyebrow at Hathaway as he left his sergeant to his intellectual word game.

**PART 3**

When Naomi finally arrived back at the house it was to find Emily and Effy sitting in the kitchen having afternoon tea and biscuits and giggling away nineteen to the dozen. Emily flashed one of her big smiles at Naomi when the blonde entered the room and held her arms out in an unequivocal gesture that the blonde should give her a welcoming hug which Naomi responded to, though not without a microsecond's hesitation which she hoped Emily hadn't noticed. She had resolved to behave perfectly normally when she got back, not giving Emily any cause to suspect that she might be on to her little game, whatever the hell that might turn out to be. For now, all would be fine and dandy on the surface though inside her head naturally all manner of thoughts, fears and suspicions were rampaging through and causing havoc to her customary peace of mind like in a bull in china shop

'Guess what, Naoms,' said Emily all excited and beaming all over her face, 'Effy's got a date for tonight!'

'Well, not really a date as such,' Effy corrected Emily coolly, providing a sharp contrast with her redheaded friend who seemed more animated about the news than she was. 'I would call it more a tentative arrangement to meet up for a drink with someone and see if we want to move on anywhere else or leave it at that.'

'Do I assume we're talking about the tall, fair, handsome stranger from the pub last night?' asked Naomi, with a wry smile directed at Effy.

'We are,' nodded Effy. 'I think he's interesting enough to be worth getting to know a bit more, at least as long as I'm over in Oxford.'

'You'll never guess what he does, Naoms' said Emily confidently, glancing across at Effy with a wink.

Naomi pulled up a spare chair and sat down between the two girls, chucking her bag on the floor by her feet. 'I thought he played guitar in a pub band. You mean there's _more_ to him than meets the eye?'

'Oh, much, much more. That's not his real job, he just plays guitar in his spare time. Guess what he really does?'

Naomi really didn't feel in the mood for playing What's My Line, Twenty Questions or any other variation of a silly word game like they used to play in school but Emily looked so keen to involve her in this fascinating parlour game that she acquiesced, albeit reluctantly and whilst putting her own individual spin on the proceedings.

'I don't know – maybe a lumberjack or….. a psychiatrist.'

'Oh, Naoms, play properly,' cried Emily disconsolately, immediately sensing that her girlfriend was not participating with the fullest enthusiasm and seriousness expected of her. Her cause was hardly helped by the sound of Effy sniggering helplessly behind her at Naomi's half-hearted, deliberately incongruous suggestions.

'Okay, how about….a mail order catalogue model or perhaps…. possibly a Russian spy. This is Oxford, after all. This is where all the best spies were recruited by the KGB in the fifties and sixties, wasn't it?'

'Now you're getting _slightly _warmer,' said Effy trying desperately hard not to burst out laughing for fear of upsetting Emily whom she could see was mystified and a touch disappointed by Naomi's pointed refusal to play the game seriously.

Naomi yawned hugely and got up to put the kettle on to make herself a cup of tea, though she felt she could probably do with something a whole lot stronger. She was also thinking about later on that evening which it would appear she was going to be spending alone with Emily now that Effy had fixed herself a 'non-date' with this man of mystery.

'He's a policeman, Naoms!' said Emily who had now lost interest in prolonging the guessing game since Naomi had for some obscure reason made it abundantly clear she was not interested in playing along. Maybe she'd had a crap morning in college, thought Emily. Perhaps Eleanor had pointed out one or two areas in her thesis that needed serious revision and so she was working herself up into a new, totally unnecessary and unjustified deadline panic again. Fuck knows what the problem is, the redhead concluded, but she certainly seemed fairly pissed off and down in the dumps. I'll have to make a special effort to spoil her and cheer her up later on when Effy's gone out for the evening, she decided.

'Jesus Christ!' Naomi gasped at the revelation of James Hathaway's profession and fixed a shocked, steely gaze on a half-smiling, half embarrassed Effy. 'You? Going out with a copper? Are you serious? Have you told him anything about your past yet?'

Effy silently shook her head and looked down at the floor. Naomi whistled in astonishment. 'If I were you, I'd keep all that quiet, then. On a strictly need to know basis, I don't think he needs to know any of that, do you?'

Both girls looked across at Naomi who took a mouthful of tea and went out of the room, still shaking her head and wondering whether Effy had completely lost her senses and had the faintest idea what she was potentially getting herself mixed up in.

**PART 4**

DS Hathaway walked into the incident room where DI Lewis was studying very intently the incident board which Hathaway had already started putting together that very morning on their latest case. Lewis broke off from his reflections and turned round on hearing Hathaway enter and looked at him inquisitively.

'I think we've got a possible ID on our victim, Sir. A man was reported missing by his wife this morning after he didn't come home last night. A Doctor Daniel Martin, Lecturer in Politics at Lonsdale College. The description given of him appears to match our headless corpse.'

'Right,' said Lewis, cheering up noticeably on hearing the news. At last they could entertain genuine hope of making some real inroads on this investigation now that they had a probable identification of their victim. Every case started and. in Lewis' considerable CID experience, usually ended with the history of the victim. Know your victim and you have a decent chance of finding your killer. The two were often inextricably linked as he had found out over the years. That was something that he had learned to appreciate through years of working under Inspector Morse and he had found no reason to abandon that principle since becoming an inspector himself.

'And,' added Hathaway with only the faintest hint of a triumphant twitch of his mouth, 'I think I've solved the I spy puzzle. But I don't think you're going to like it, Sir, if I am right.'

'I'm damn sure I'm not but you'd better tell me anyway, sergeant.'

Hathaway approached Lewis with a piece of paper in his hand on which he had obviously been trying out various guesses to fill in the gaps in the word. A big circle drawn in pen had been made around the most recent of his attempts near the bottom of the page and it was to that word that Hathaway pointed with his long index finger. DI Lewis leaned forward to look at the word and immediately recoiled and closed his eyes in horror for a few seconds before opening them again and staring at Hathaway incredulously.

'Are you sure that fits?' he asked, his face screwed up in revulsion, but he was only asking the question to give himself time to get his head round the whole thing. He knew only too well that it had to fit; Hathaway wouldn't have bothered mentioning it to him otherwise. The sergeant nodded glumly and said without a great deal of conviction, 'Of course, there _might_ be another less alarming word that fills in the gaps but… if there is, then I haven't come across it so far.'

'I'm sure you're right, Hathaway,' Lewis muttered as the pair of them made for the door. 'You usually are. Let's cheer ourselves up, shall we? Let's go and see the victim's family. For once, that doesn't promise to be quite as much of an ordeal in comparison, does it?'

**PART 5**

'Can you think of anyone who might have wanted to harm your husband, Mrs Martin?' asked Lewis gently. He and Hathaway were sitting in the living room with the victim's wife, a dark haired, pleasantly attractive woman in her late forties and her grown up daughter who must have been in her late twenties. The identification had been confirmed fairly quickly and Lewis and Hathaway had given the two women

A respectful amount of time to digest the shocking new before they began asking some painful yet essential questions,

'No! Nobody would have wanted to harm Daniel. He was a…..a good man, ' said Mrs Martin, struggling to hold back the tears and retain some semblance of self-control in front of her daughter who was sitting next to her and had an arm around her shoulders, doing her best to comfort her mother.

'And what about you, Jenny?' Hathaway looked across at the daughter who turned to meet his eyes and held them with a steady yet dull, almost expressionless gaze of her own. 'Can you think of any reason why someone would want to kill your father?'

Jenny Martin shook her head and turned back to look at her mother who was sniffing heavily into a tissue and trying to wipe the odd tear away that had eventually started to trickle down her cheeks.

'No, I can't. I can't imagine why anyone would want to do such a…..horrible, horrible thing,' she replied without looking back at either of the two detectives.

'When did you last see your husband?' asked DI Lewis.

'Um…..well, it must have been about eight o'clock yesterday morning when he left to go into college. He had a full day of lectures and tutorials so I wasn't expecting him back until the evening.'

'What time did he normally get home?'

'Oh, not until around…. seven o'clock, normally. Sometimes he might stop off for a drink with one of his colleagues, so it was no big surprise if he wasn't home till a bit later.'

'So why didn't you report him missing last night when he didn't come home, then?' Hathaway had to ask the obvious question even though there was usually a good reason why a wife might have waited until the next day before reporting a missing husband.

'Well, I don't know. I suppose I thought he might have decided to stay in college overnight for some reason. He did that occasionally. He has a big comfortable sofa in his room, you know. Sometimes, when we… well, you know, when we'd had an argument or weren't speaking to each other for a while he would stay in college overnight to….. well, calm down and think things through.'

'Did you and your husband row a lot, Mrs Martin?' asked Lewis as politely and respectfully as she could but this was an important line of enquiry and couldn't be avoided on the grounds of sensitivity in a murder investigation.

'Oh, no, not that much. Not really. I mean, all couples argue, don't they? Especially when they've been together as long as we have. You have so much more to argue about than younger couples, don't you?' Mrs Martin attempted a feeble smile at Lewis who nodded back at her sympathetically.

'So, you can't think of any enemies that your husband might have had? No-one who he didn't get on with, maybe at college? A place like that can often create rivalries, tensions, disagreements' Lewis suggested helpfully, hoping for an angle into the case.

'No, nothing like that at all. Daniel got on well with all his colleagues. Besides, we haven't been in Oxford very long. He only took up his post last September at the beginning of the college year. He hasn't been there long enough to fall out with anyone. The idea's ridiculous.'

'Can you think of anything that might explain what has happened to your father, Jenny?' Again the fair haired, slim, attractive daughter shook her head silently and stared hard at the floor, as if deep in thought. 'No, Inspector. I can't imagine anyone would want to do this. It all seems quite incredible and….unreal.'

Lewis and Hathaway stood up, thanked both woman for their time and apologised for having to ask them such difficult questions at such a painful time for them. They would probably have to come back at a later date to ask them some more questions but for the moment they would leave them alone in peace to deal with their grief. When the two detectives left the house which was situated in a smart part of town, only about ten minutes drive from the college where Doctor Martin worked, Lewis said to Hathaway as they got inside the car, 'So, what did you make of all that, Sergeant?'

'There's something not quite right.'

'I agree. The wife's grief seemed genuine enough but what did you make of the daughter? She seemed a strange one.'

'I think she's keeping something from us, Sir. She was very guarded and quiet, wasn't she?'

'Yes, she was. I thought she seemed more surprised by her father's death than distressed. There's definitely more to her than meets the eye, I should think'

'Do you want me to run the usual checks on the family, Sir?'

'Yes. And go talk to the neighbours and all their friends. See what they have to say about the Martins. Find out as much as you can about that family. There's something they're not telling us….yet. We need to find out what it is and fast, before Chummy gets his claws into victim number two.'

'So you think he's already chosen his next victim, do you, Sir?'

'Oh, yes! I certainly do. I'd stake my reputation on it, in fact. Especially if you're right about that last clue.'

**PART 6**

'There you go, James,' said Effy, handing Sgt Hathaway a cool, refreshing pint of lager as she sat down opposite him at their table in the picturesque beer garden and took a preliminary sip from her own substantial glass of white wine.

'Thank you, Effy,' said Hathaway, returning the young woman's generous smile. He was quietly impressed already with Effy. She certainly wasn't turning out to be one of those girls who saw an opportunity to sponge drinks off an older guy all evening and went for it big time without any shame. He had bought the first round, out of an old fashioned, traditional sense of courtesy and respect for women which he possessed in abundance and she had just volunteered to buy the second without a moment's hesitation.

Effy had already explained the reason for her visit to Oxford and had given him the lowdown on Emily's plans for the secret, surprise birthday party for Naomi to which he had been invited and to which he was still slightly in two minds about going. Maybe, he thought, I will discover the answer to my question this evening.

'So, James,' said Effy looking deep into Sgt Hathaway's blue eyes, 'Tell me all about being a detective. I would imagine you lead a terribly exciting life.'

Hathaway smiled and shook his head. 'You'd be surprised. It's often a lot duller than most people think. It's mainly all about asking questions, checking up on information given, carrying out tedious routine procedures, unsociable working hours. That sort of thing. It's really not very exciting at all, in fact'

'I don't believe you for a minute,' replied Effy narrowing her eyes and trying to work out if Hathaway was being modest and humble or merely pulling her leg. She thought probably the former.

'No, honestly. I bet you've had a much more interesting and exciting life than I've had so far.'

'Oh, no, James, my life's been _very _dull and uneventful.'

'Tell me about this dull and boring life, then, Effy,' he said, anxious to get the subject away from himself and back on to this increasingly fascinating and at times thoroughly bewitching young woman sitting opposite him. 'I'd like to hear about it.'

Effy thought for a moment, recalling Naomi's words of warning about keeping Hathaway, a policeman for fuck's sake, completely in the dark about the murkier aspects of her past, before deciding to go with her instincts and let her heart rule someone else's head.

'Well, let's see, I suppose it started off with a fair amount of underage sex, _all of it _consenting in case you're thinking of bumping up your crime statistics for the month. Then that was followed by an even greater amount of overage sex, still all consenting, mind you, although a lot of it _was_ the product of some bad trips on illegal substances. Of course I blame my parents for that, who wouldn't. I mean, walking in on your Mum shagging your Dad's best friend from work was bound to have an effect on a teenage girl, wouldn't you say?'

Hathaway nodded in agreement and began to wonder how much of this life story was true and how much was the product of a very fertile and active imagination.

'Then there was a steady descent into depression and attempted suicide which my boyfriend at the time was totally unable to prevent because he was just a normal, regular, decent guy who couldn't handle or understand a complete fruitcake like me. Then my boyfriend disappeared off the face of the earth never to be seen again while I struggled to come to terms with what little was left of my life. So, all in all I guess, fairly dull and uneventful, wouldn't you say, compared to your life of hunting down murderers and solving crimes. I expect after hearing that sorry story you'll be wanting to get the hell out of here and as far away from me as possible.'

Effy knocked back half of her glass of wine and put it back on the table with a flourish and waited to see James' reaction. He took a swig from his pint of lager and looked at her with kind and almost understanding eyes. 'I think you seem to have come through all that pretty well, Effy. I don't see a sad, confused, lonely young woman sitting in front of me. I see a beautiful, funny, intelligent young woman who is full of life, full of potential for the future. I just think you need to start trusting people again, that's all. Maybe you've given up on people too quickly.'

'Or maybe they've all given up on me, James. After all, who can blame them? I've hardly given anyone much confidence to believe in me. I'm just bad news really, bad luck even. I seem to put a curse on the lives of everyone I meet.'

'Your friends don't seem to think so, do they? They seem genuinely happy to see you. They look like they care about you and want to be there for you. That's more than a lot of people have got, you know. More than me, for instance.'

'Oh, come now, James. I don't believe that. You must have loads of friends, even outside the police force. What about the other members in the band? They must be your friends, surely?'

Hathaway shook his head and finished off the rest of his pint. 'Not really. We share a love of music, that's all. If it wasn't for the music I wouldn't spend any time with them at all.'

Effy looked at the sergeant suspiciously, not convinced by his explanation but he nodded emphatically as he stood up to buy another round. 'It's true. I don't have any real friends, either in work or outside work. And do you know what? I don't really care much either.'

'Well, I'm afraid I have to correct you on that point, James. You are quite wrong, you know. You do have a friend and she's feeling very thirsty and needs another drink to give her the courage to carry on making a fool of herself tonight.'

Hathaway chuckled and moved off into the pub, leaving Effy alone with her thoughts. She liked James even more now than she did before. Not may people would have heard the full horrors of her life story and not batted an eyelid like he did. Yep, he's a pretty cool customer, she concluded. Maybe he could even bear to see the real Effy in full flow tomorrow night. As she sat back in her seat, breathing in the cool early evening air, her mind turned briefly to Emily and Naomi whom she had left behind at the house for the evening. She hoped to God they were working out their problem, whatever it was, that she had sensed was hanging in the air between the pair of them.

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	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Naomi agonises over what to do after the shock of seeing Emily's email to her professor. The police receive another I Spy message from the killer, taunting them to guess what his next brutal killing will be. Lewis and Hathaway visit the family of politics lecturer Dr Martin, the man believed to be the killer's first victim. Effy goes for a drink with Hathaway in the evening, leaving Naomi alone with Emily and her dark suspicions about her girlfriend's deception.

**CHAPTER FIVE: **

**PART 1**

Something wasn't quite right. Emily couldn't put her finger on precisely what it was but she could sense that all was not well with Naomi that evening. Her girlfriend's slight tetchiness and irritability from the afternoon had abated, that much was true, only to have been replaced by a sort of vague sadness and distraction that was in danger of making their evening alone at home together turn out to be a wasted opportunity.

Naomi had initially appeared willing enough to go along with Emily's suggestion of ordering in a pizza and curling up on the sofa together to watch a DVD from their collection of DVD's still not yet watched. However despite them having been stretched out on the sofa for the last three-quarters of an hour, cuddling up to one another like they normally would, Emily instinctively knew that it just didn't feel right. Something was missing from Naomi and it was starting to worry Emily. Sure, they were physically touching, their bodies were pressed against each other as you would expect two lovers to be. They were talking. It wasn't as if they had had a huge row and so weren't speaking to one another, pointedly maintaining some distance as each of them fumed and seethed silently in their own carefully chosen personal space..

No, this was something else, thought Emily as she lay with Naomi's head resting on her chest and her arms wrapped around the blonde girl's bare midriff. Naomi was with her and yet at the same time it felt like she somehow wasn't. It seemed like Naomi's body was with her while her mind, her soul even, was miles away on another planet.

'Are you okay, Naoms?' She HAD to ask even though she wasn't really expecting Naomi to come clean and tell her exactly what was bothering her.

'Yes. Why?' replied her girlfriend without turning her head to look at Emily.

'I don't know, you just seem…quiet and…well, miles away.'

'Shit!' Naomi thought. Obviously I haven't been hiding how I feel well enough if she suspects something's up with me.

'I'm fine,' Naomi lied, trying to force a little cheeriness into her voice. 'I'm just concentrating on the film, that's all.'

'I thought maybe you weren't enjoying it,' said Emily, gently squeezing Naomi's tummy in an affectionate gesture to demonstrate her concern before pressing the pause button on the remote which was lying next to her on the arm of the sofa.

'No, it's okay. I mean, it was a bit slow to get started but it's alright now.'

'You just seem like you've got something on your mind. You've been a bit….irritable and odd since you came home. It's not Effy staying here that's pissed you off, is it? She'll be gone after the weekend, she said.'

'No, it's nothing do to do with Effy being here,' Naomi replied, quite truthfully this time.

'I just thought what with her being out tonight it would be nice to have an evening on our own again, just the two of us.'

'It _is_ nice, Ems.' Naomi did her utmost to carry a note of genuine conviction and warmth in those simple words but clearly she didn't succeed in allaying Emily's suspicions as the redhead carried on with her gentle probing of Naomi's state of mind.

'You're not still worrying about your thesis, are you? The last time I spoke to Ellie she said you were making great progress with it.'

At the sudden mention of her professor's name Naomi couldn't prevent herself from stiffening and tensing up a fraction. Her heart started to beat a little faster and she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on controlling and hiding her emotions better.

'No, I'm not worrying about that. I'm just….tired, I suppose. I feel like I'm running on empty, all my get up and go seems to have got up and gone.'

Emily giggled and felt relieved enough to bend down and kiss Naomi on the top of her head and lightly and playfully caress her bare midriff. There couldn't be that much wrong with Naoms, she thought, if she could still come out with a typically Naomi witty joke like that, even if it was in the 'Give an old joke a home week' category.

'Besides, it's your birthday tomorrow! You've got to be wide awake and in a good mood for that! I'm going to make sure you have a fabulous day, just you wait and see. In fact, we could have an early night after the film's finished and I could give you your first birthday present!'

Emily couldn't suppress a dirty chuckle which made Naomi squirm inside. The last thing she felt in the mood for right then was being all sexy, romantic and passionate.

She closed her eyes for a short while and tried to imagine what sort of day her birthday might turn out to be. Would it be a day of fun, laughter and joy unconfined or would it be one full of tears, humiliation and the darkest despair as she received confirmation that Ems was having an affair with her professor behind her back?

**PART 2**

Sprawled across her bed, drinking a hot cup of coffee and munching on toast and marmalade whilst trawling through the Saturday morning broadsheet, Dr Laura Hobson was thoroughly enjoying the first couple of hours of her favourite day of the week. As much as she loved her job and the people she worked with, being in her own little house, not having to deal with dead bodies, doing just what she pleased for a whole two days without having to show any consideration towards anyone else was what Laura really loved doing. Here in her little sanctum, her sanctuary far from the dark, evil, malevolent forces whose work she had to witness close up five days a week, Laura could forget there was a bad, crazy world outside and revel in the simple pleasures of life that made up for the stresses and strains of the rest of her week.

She had been basking in the peace and quiet of a warm Saturday morning and had no plans for anything more hectic that day than a refreshing and invigorating stroll around town in the afternoon, followed perhaps by a quiet evening in front of the television or curling up on the sofa with a good book as her only company. So when the telephone rang to crudely interrupt the sleepy calm of her morning reveries she felt a touch irritated that someone had dared to intrude on her much prized privacy. However that feeling immediately dissipated on hearing a familiar and friendly voice on the line.

'Hi Robbie,' she said. 'This is an unexpected pleasure.' Then another thought crossed her mind which injected a note of suspicion and horror into her voice. 'What's up? PLEASE don't tell me you've found another corpse you need me to look at! I've been so looking forward to a couple of days well away from dead bodies.'

She heard Lewis laugh sympathetically and was instantly reassured even before he replied. 'No, you're all right, Laura. It's nothing to do with the case. I'm not going to drag you out of your house this lovely sunny morning.'

'That's a relief,' said Laura gratefully. 'So, what is it, then?' She was intrigued by Robbie's call. He didn't often phone her outside of work or at home unless it was to do with a case. She wondered if perhaps he just might have other designs on her.

'Well, I was just wondering if I could take you out to dinner tonight. You know, to thank you for cooking that fabulous meal for me the other night. Only if you're not doing anything, of course. If you've already made plans, then that's fine…...'

Laura smiled and shook her head in amusement and not a little frustration. Robbie was always so shy and reticent when it came to stuff like this. He was _already_ almost looking for a way out of the invitation, half expecting her to turn him down because of a prior engagement or some other perfectly plausible and understandable reason. Why couldn't he be a bit more bold, assertive and confident with her, for God's sake? He never had a problem with self-confidence and assertiveness when he was working.

'I'd love to, Robbie, 'she said quickly before he could think up any more reasons why she couldn't go to dinner with him.

'Oh,' said Lewis, surprised yet delighted at Laura's ready response. 'Great. Well, shall I pick you up around eight o'clock? I thought we might try out that new Italian place that opened up recently, you know, the one Innocent was raving about last week.'

'Sounds wonderful, Robbie. I'll see you here at eight, then.'

Laura hung up yet held on to her phone for a while, lost in thought. Maybe at long last, Robbie was finally going to come out of his protective shell and show her the real him. Could this be the start of a new dimension to their relationship? She had been almost on the point of giving up on him ever making the right moves to bring them closer together emotionally. During the last six months she had tried her best on and off, in her own subtle, understated way to forge an even closer relationship with him but had been unconvinced that it was going anywhere. Maybe tonight would mark a turning point, a major breakthrough in getting Robbie finally to throw off the shackles, to release the chains that had been keeping him incarcerated in the past. She couldn't wait to see if she would be proved right. This could be a truly wonderful and memorable Saturday!

**PART 3**

When Lara came back into the kitchen she was surprised to find JJ staring hard at the floor, seemingly deep in thought, with an anxious expression furrowed across his brow.

'What's the matter, JJ? You look worried.'

JJ turned his head to look at her and uncertainty was written all over his face. 'Do you really think Naomi _will_ like our birthday present?'

'Of course she will! Didn't you say Emily thought it was a fantastic idea?'

JJ nodded, recalling Emily's wildly enthusiastic, unequivocal backing of his initial suggestion for a birthday present a couple of weeks ago. 'Yeah. But what if Naomi doesn't think it's such a great idea. What if she doesn't go a bundle on it at all?'

'She will, trust me. Besides, in a way it's not just a present for Naomi, it's something for the pair of them, isn't it. Emily will adore it even if Naomi can take it or leave it. And if Emily shows she adores it, then I bet it won't be long before Naomi comes round to loving it as well.'

'I hope you're right, Lara. I would hate it if they felt they had to give it back to us.'

'Stop worrying! They won't. It's just what they need to bring even more fun and happiness into their life.'

JJ nodded, comforted by Lara's confident assertion that everything would be fine and that they hadn't made a terrible misjudgement of the Fitch-Campbell family situation.

'I mean, come on! Look at it. How could anyone _not_ fall in love with it? You'd have to have a heart of stone, wouldn't you?'

JJ looked at Lara, nervously licked his lips, was about to say something but decided to hold his peace. He couldn't stop the thought from popping into his head that having a heart of stone could be a very apt description of Naomi on certain occasions. He just prayed that this evening wouldn't prove to be one of them. Lara and Emily were usually right and he hoped that the sisterhood had made the right call on this one too.

**PART 4**

Katie Fitch sat alone in the busy lunchtime coffee bar drinking her cappuccino and eating her tuna salad baguette, totally oblivious to the sounds of laughter and chatter all around her. She checked her mobile from time to time which she had placed in front of her on the table but on each occasion she was forced to put the phone back on the table with a heavy sigh and an equally heavy heart. Nothing. No calls, not even a text message. She had pleaded with him to give her a ring, to let her know that all wasn't lost, that there was still hope, however faint, that things could be put right. She knew she'd messed up, big time, but she would change, he would see, she could sort herself out, get through it all and emerge a better and stronger person for the ordeal.

But even while she sat there, all alone at her single table, feeling utterly depressed and miserable in the midst of a sea of happy faces, occasional raucous laughter and general bonhomie exhibited by her fellow diners, she suspected that she was kidding herself. How could she possibly make up for everything she'd done? She had let everyone down and what was worse, she had let herself down. She had no-one but herself to blame, she knew that better than anyone, she didn't need to be reminded of it. But sitting there feeling sorry for herself, wondering why it had to happen to her of all people, demanding to know what she had done to deserve this sorry position she found herself in, well, that was going to get her nowhere fast. She had to think positive, buck her ideas up and just go out there and bloody do something about it!

She finished her lunch and got up to pay, forcing a smile that she didn't really feel at the girl on the till who thanked her as she took her money. She stepped outside on to the pavement and looked both ways, unsure which direction to go in. Ordinarily she would go to the left without even thinking about it but that way lay danger with a capital D. She didn't dare go that way, she wouldn't trust herself, not yet anyway, not this soon. No, it had to be right but that too was fraught with problems, going that way ran the risk of taking her past where other people might be whom she was desperate to avoid. She was feeling way too vulnerable, far too ashamed and insecure to run the gauntlet of the hurtful, spiteful comments that might come her way from certain individuals. But what choice did she have? She couldn't hop into Doctor Who's Tardis , she couldn't 'beam herself up' like in Star Trek, there was no magic carpet waiting to whisk her away up high, high above the rest of the city, far from all the knowing looks, the nudging elbows, the furtive whispers and above all the dreaded pointing fingers.

She took a deep breath, lit a cigarette and forced herself to throw her shoulders back in a concerted effort to hold her head up high and face whatever music might come her way. If she was going to get through this nightmare, this mighty challenge to her self-confidence and her reputation then the fight would have to begin right now. She moved forward with purposeful strides down the road, willing herself not to look anywhere but straight ahead until she had passed safely by and reached the relative sanctuary of the bus stop. She knew her train didn't leave for a couple more hours but she had had to get out of the house and away from her Mum and her relentlessly persistent, probing, embarrassing questions. She would kill time at the railway station somehow, find a quiet corner to sit in and read the paper, Christ, even a book, anything that would take her mind off the problem and keep her out of harm's way.

**PART 5**

Emily was getting worried that there appeared to be no sign of Effy anywhere in the house. Naomi's birthday had gone well enough so far – Naomi had seemed to like her presents, even the silly dustpan and brush which had brought a knowing look and a wry smile to her face when she unwrapped it. Emily had made their favourite breakfast which they had wolfed down with great gusto and which seemed to Emily to have brought some colour back into Naomi's cheeks. The redhead had been a bit worried that her girlfriend had looked a little pale and drawn the previous evening but the hearty breakfast, after an invigorating shower seemed to have done the trick and hit the right spot for Naomi. Emily was feeling much happier about the day now compared with the slight misgivings and doubts she had experienced the night before.

But what she hadn't bargained for was the unforeseen and inexplicable disappearance of Effy. Not that Effy had a duty of care to them to inform them of her movements at all times. She was obviously free to come and go as she pleased while she was staying with them although Emily did think that a little bit of consideration on Effy's part wouldn't have gone amiss. A quick phone call yesterday evening to say she wasn't going to be coming back to the house that night but would see them in the morning at whatever time, well it wouldn't have killed her to do that, would it, Emily thought. But that was Effy – unpredictable, spontaneous, prone to disappear out of your life at the drop of a hat just as quickly and effortlessly as she suddenly came into it. But Effy knew that Emily needed her there that afternoon to take Naomi off her hands and keep her amused and occupied for a few hours away from the house while she got on with the final preparations for the party. So where the fuck was she? Please don't let me down, Ef, Emily muttered under her breath. It's going to be so much easier to do this with you around to distract Naoms.

Naomi had gone upstairs to their room to do have a bit of a think about her thesis, she said, birthday notwithstanding. Ordinarily Emily would have protested and persuaded her that no-one should have to work at home on their birthday but on this occasion she was happy to let her have her way. She needed some time on her own to plan the final touches for the evening's entertainment. She had to go out and pick up the cake that she had ordered at some point but that would only take her twenty minutes there and back on her scooter. It was the preparation and laying out of the food and drink, the rearranging of the furniture to create enough space for dancing, the hanging up of balloons, streamers and all the rest of the birthday trimmings that she had bought, that was why she needed an empty house for several hours from mid-afternoon. That was why she needed Effy there to drag Naomi out of the house with some convincing tale or other to leave her free to set up the surprise for Naomi on their subsequent return.

She tried Effy's mobile but was forced to leave a message, begging her to get her arse back over at the house as quick as she could, saying she needed her for her grand plan. Fortunately, just as she was beginning to give up on Effy and reappraise the situation in search of a plan B, she received a text message from her friend saying she was on her way back and apologising for net getting in touch. Within twenty minutes Effy had arrived back at the house, explaining that she had crashed out round Sgt Hathaway's place after getting fairly hammered and had slept right through the morning.

'What? You mean you got off with him, you horny cow?' asked an incredulous Emily who was just relieved to see that Effy was both safe and sound and, equally importantly for her own ends, back home and fully compos mentis.

'No! Of course I didn't! What sort of girl do you think I am?' Effy replied with a suspicion of bristling indignation at Emily's unjustified slur on her character. 'At least, I'm fairly sure I didn't. I was pretty out of it. But James isn't that sort of guy, anyway.'

'So, he's a man in a million, is that what you're saying? The only straight guy in the world who wouldn't fuck you if you laid it on a plate for him?'

'Yeah, you know what? I do believe he probably is. He's a gentleman. Either that or he isn't in to necrophilia.'

Emily had heard enough of Effy's outrageous consorting and hustling with Bristol's only gentleman copper. 'Look, I need you to help me with distracting Naomi right now like you promised, yeah? I've got to pop out and pick up the cake and then when I get back to an _empty house_, get it, I've got a few hours to get the place sorted out. Are you with me, Ef? I need you to be on the ball, I'm counting on you, babe, okay?'

Effy nodded silently. She remembered the plan now; it was all coming back to her through the haze and fog of her hangover-ridden mind. Her job was to drag Naomi out of the house and into town in the afternoon and keep her there until it was safe to take her back home and spring the surprise party on her from six o'clock when Katie , JJ and Lara had been told to get there for.

'OK? You ready to rumble?'

'Sure am,' insisted Effy with a comforting nod and a wink. '

Emily started putting on her coat and reaching for her bag, unaware that above her on the landing Naomi had at that very moment tiptoed out of their bedroom on hearing the sound of voices and was quietly listening to the end of their conversation. 'Give me five minutes to get away from here, okay? Then do your stuff. Make up any excuse you can think of but just make sure she doesn't know what the hell's going on. I'll see you back here around six, alright?'

She moved swiftly and noiselessly through the front door and closed it gently behind her. Naomi knew she had to act fast if she wasn't to let Emily go completely out of sight. Effy was hanging around near the hall so the front door escape route was ruled out. If Effy was determined do her job properly, whatever reason she had to be caught up in Emily's secret machinations and web of deceit, she wouldn't just stand back and allow her to march past her and out through the door. No, she would have to think of something else and she did.

Under pressure, Naomi often found that her admirable attributes of quick thinking on her feet came into prominence. So it was here as she smartly went back into the bedroom, pulled on a coat and opened one of the bedroom windows. As quietly as she could she edged and wriggled her body through the opening and carefully planted her legs and feet around the drainpipe that conveniently ran up past their bedroom and lowered herself down until she was gripping on to the pipe with hands and feet, From there it was a fairly simple matter of gently sliding down the pipe to the ground, a procedure which was made easier by the fact that she had had occasion to do this particular manoeuvre once before, except in reverse, when she had locked herself out of the house and had been reduced to climbing up the drainpipe and in through an open window.

She sped round the back of the house and along the side passage that would take her out to the front, pausing only to grab her bicycle and wheel it quickly in front of her. She had timed the whole military-style operation to perfection, emerging in front of the house just in time to catch sight of Emily moving away slowly up the road on her scooter. Naomi knew she had to keep some measure of distance between the two of them as she didn't want Emily to spot her in her mirror. It would be hard to judge it just right. She couldn't run the risk of falling too far behind and losing her altogether but then again she didn't want her girlfriend to suss her out and stop to confront her. She knew Emily never rode terribly fast so it was unlikely she would pull away from her too far, especially seeing as Naomi was a very good cyclist with her long, powerful legs. She simply needed to keep her in her sights from a suitable distance and wait and see where Emily would take her. Her heart was thumping, her hands were sweating and she felt her mouth start to dry up. Love was supposed to hurt, wasn't it, so the song said? Worse still, this was really threatening to tear her apart.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

I would just like to say a big thank you to everyone who has hit on the story so far and to those of you who have been kind enough to leave a review. I hope you have been enjoying the first few chapters as I have tried to set the scene and lay the groundwork for the main body of the story. I can promise you that the action really begins to pick up pace from now onwards as events bring the two sets of characters crashing into each other's lives with a vengeance. Please keep the reviews and feedback coming – I love reading all your comments and suggestions!

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	6. Chapter 6

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Naomi is still suspicious that Emily has been involved with her professor behind her back. DI Lewis asks Dr Hobson if she will go out for dinner with him that Saturday night. Katie, JJ and Lara are preparing to make their way to Oxford for Naomi's surprise party. When Emily goes to pick up the birthday cake, Naomi slips out of the house through a bedroom window unseen by Effy, intent on tailing Emily to see whether she's secretly gone to meet her professor.

**CHAPTER SIX: **

**PART 1**

By the time Emily finally came to a halt outside the supermarket Naomi was close to feeling quite knackered. Contrary to her expectations it had required some serious pedalling on her part to keep Emily in sight as the redhead, for a change, had really put her foot down and got a move on. Naomi hung back about fifty yards behind Emily, panting hard and desperately trying to get her breath back as she had no idea how long it would be before Emily was back on the scooter again. She watched keenly as Emily parked her scooter along the side of the building and quickly moved through the entrance and disappeared inside.

Naomi decided not to follow her into the supermarket but wait for her outside. She couldn't imagine for one moment that this was where Emily had agreed to meet up with her professor. Maybe she was stopping off to pick up something for the two of them to enjoy in the afternoon, some secret, shared culinary delectation – passion fruit, oysters, chocolate perhaps - that would make their romantic assignation go with an even greater bang. That thought almost made her throw up on the spot as she realised what a painfully distressing double entendre she had conjured up in her mind.

She nervously smoked a cigarette whilst her stomach churned over a hundred times as she waited for Emily to emerge from the entrance which she did after only five minutes, clutching a larger white box in both hands. The redhead then put the mysterious box into the lift-up container at the back of the scooter and remounted. Seconds later she was off on the road again, going back the same way she had come and Naomi was forced to take temporary cover until Emily had gone past her before getting back on her bike and tailing her once more. She imagined that Emily would be heading for Eleanor's house or maybe some other secret hideaway that they alone had access to so she was well and truly gobsmacked when Emily led her right back home some ten minutes later.

'_What the fuck is going on?'_ muttered Naomi, thoroughly confused and perplexed. Surely Ems can't have invited Eleanor over to their place for afternoon tea and a shag! Having been led all the way back home which was the last place she had expected Emily to have brought her, Naomi was at a loss as to what to do next. Should she hold back and see if Emily came out of the house again to make yet another journey? Should she go in and confront Emily, demand an explanation for this ridiculous cloak and dagger nonsense of the last half an hour? Or would it be wiser to go back in to the house and not say a word?

After a minute or two of dithering, wavering and agonising indecision, she forced herself to make a choice out of sheer anxiety that she would be rooted to the spot for the rest of her life if she didn't pull her fucking finger out and _do something_. She cycled gently over to the house, up the drive and was making for the side of the house to park her bike when an unusually flustered Effy came flying out of the front door, slamming it shut behind in a clear gesture of annoyance.

'Where the fuck have you been, Naomi?' she said, trying to sound calm and not too put out but failing miserably. 'Why did you leave the house without telling me? And how did you manage to get out without me seeing you?'

'Excuse me?' said a rather disgruntled and bemused Naomi, scrunching up her face as she looked at Effy. She was feeling a bit guilty about having left the way she did behind Effy's back and was trying to cover up her embarrassment by affecting a note of bewilderment that she should have to account to anyone else for her movements in her own home, even it was an old friend. 'This is my house, you know! I can come and go how I please, Effy.'

'Yes, I know that. That's not what I meant.'

'Look, I don't know what the fuck's going on around here but I need to speak to Emily right now.' She got off her bike and started to wheel it round the side of the house, her head down, her mouth set firm with resolute defiance. She wasn't going to play any more silly games, she thought, it was time to ask some direct questions.

'Naomi! Emily's busy right now doing something important. She wants the house to herself and I've volunteered to take you away for a few hours and keep you amused.'

'So she's got you involved in her dirty little secret as well, then?'

'I don't know what you imagine is going on but there's nothing dirty about it at all.' Effy shook her head in mild amusement at Naomi whom she could see had clearly worked herself up into a right old state about nothing. 'Let me try to spell it out to you without completely giving the game away, shall I?'

Naomi stared at a smiling Effy with dull, confused eyes as she stood rooted to the spot next to her bicycle, not knowing who to believe or trust any more. She shrugged her shoulders without saying a word and bit her lip, bracing herself to hear she knew not what.

'Today's a special day, right? It's your birthday. And Emily's got one final present to give you but she needs time to prepare it and you out of the way while she's doing it. Are you getting the hang of the plot now or have you become terminally stupid?'

Naomi's mouth shot open and she felt herself blushing. 'You mean all this weird, secret shit she's been up to today is all to do with my birthday?'

'Congratulations, Einstein. You've just won the star prize - a new brain cell to replace your old one that's obviously fucked. What the hell did you think she was up to?'

Naomi felt her cheeks burn an even brighter shade of red and she quickly looked away, not wanting Effy to notice her embarrassment. 'Um…nothing, nothing. I just….. thought she was acting a bit….odd, that's all.'

'Whereas you, secretly climbing out of the bedroom window and following Emily down to the shops and back again without saying a word to anyone, well that's all perfectly normal, rational behaviour, I suppose. Nothing odd or weird about that, is there?'

Effy burst out laughing as Naomi stared hard at the ground and shuffled her feet, desperately wishing a hole in the ground would swallow her up whole right then.

'Come on, you stupid twat, let's go for a drive, shall we? You can show me some of your favourite parts of Oxford. I expect you could do with some fresh air to blow away all the crap that's been flying around in your head this afternoon!'

**PART 2**

Emily walked slowly from room to room to observe with a critical eye the fruits of her labour over the last couple of hours and pronounced herself more than satisfied with the results. All the banners, streamers and balloons were up, suitably affixed to the walls and ceilings, many of which unambiguously proclaimed 'Happy Birthday Naomi!' messages, just in case any guest was in doubt as to the purpose of the celebration to which they had been invited. Some of the furniture still had to be moved around in order to create more space for dancing but that could be done pretty quickly as soon as the advanced party of Katie, JJ & Co. arrived to give her a helping hand. The music had been carefully selected and the fancy strobe lighting had been set up, briefly tested and found to be in perfect working order.

The booze and the food had been set out in the kitchen, with the double chocolate birthday cake understandably taking centre stage. Although she knew her invited guests were bound to bring alcohol with them, there was already an impressive collection of wine, spirits, beer plus the obligatory bowl of punch laid out for everyone to help themselves to over the course of what she anticipated being a very long, drunken and riotous evening. Ever since Naomi had been forced to miss out on her birthday celebrations the previous year due to an unwelcome and debilitating attack of German measles which laid her low for a whole week, Emily had been determined to 'go big' this year in compensation. As she stood surveying her meticulous preparations, she reckoned she had probably got it just about right. It was going to be massive- completely off the Richter scale.

She collapsed back onto the living room sofa and gulped down a strong cup of coffee, her third of the afternoon which she had felt she needed to keep her concentration levels high and her head clear for the many tasks facing her. She could feel her eyelids getting heavy as the exertions of the day finally began to take a hold of her exhausted body and within seconds her eyes were closed. The mug that she had been cradling in her hands started to slip ever so slowly and gently from her grasp and would have inevitably fallen onto the floor within a few seconds, pouring the dregs all over her blouse, had it not been for several loud rings on the doorbell.

Emily gave a start, which a cruel observer might have described as a strangely disturbing cross between a grunt and a snore, and her eyes shot wide open as is often the case when one is rudely and forcibly dragged away from a much needed impromptu nap. She got up, whilst doing a hasty juggling act with the mug, looked at her watch and concluded that it had to be the first of the advanced party guests. Besides, Naomi and Effy wouldn't have rung the bell once, let alone the three or four times that this caller had by now so impatiently done.

'Okay, okay, I'm coming!' she yelled a touch irritably in the direction of the front door as she dragged her weary body out into the entrance hall. She might have guessed who this first impatient visitor was as she opened the door to reveal her beloved twin standing on the doorstep with a frown on her face and in the throes of pressing her twitching finger to the bell yet one more time.

'Jesus, Emsy, do you leave everyone freezing their tits off on the doorstep for hours?'

Emily smiled wryly at Katie who glared at her before putting her arms around her sister in a genuinely affectionate hug to show that there would be no hard feelings as long as she could warm her frozen tits right away inside the house. 'What are you on about, Katie? It's not cold outside, it's a lovely day.' Katie ignored this remark, picked up her overnight bag and marched straight past her sister into the hall before veering off towards the living room, leaving Emily to wonder at the incredibly strong-smelling perfume Katie was obviously wearing which left her half choking as the overpowering wafts filled her nostrils. 'Bloody hell, Katie, I think you've rather overdone the perfume. You might want to tone it down a bit before everyone else arrives.'

Emily followed Katie into the living room and only then realised that she hadn't seen Katie's car outside the front of the house. 'Where's your car?' she asked casually as she flopped down next to her sister on the sofa.

'What?' said Katie, a bit too defensively than seemed really necessary. 'Oh, it's at the garage. Something wrong with the brakes, I think. I'll get it back next week.'

'Didn't they give you a temporary replacement, then?' Emily knew that Katie's rap sheet for crashing her company car was approaching legendary status but she found it hard to believe the firm would have left her without any wheels.

'Um…yeah, well, you know what it's like nowadays Em, everyone's cutting back and trying to save costs anywhere they can.'

'So, what, you came up here _by train_?' Emily whistled in stunned amazement at the affirmative grunt given by Katie. She wasn't convinced Katie could even remember _how _to use a train, so accustomed had she become in recent years to going everywhere by car, even if it was just to the end of the street. Ever since she got her first car Katie had become a public transport snob so it must have been excruciatingly embarrassing for her to have to slum it on the train.

'What's wrong with the train, Em?' Katie looked daggers at her sister who was struggling to keep a straight face and hold back a giggle.

.'Nothing at all, Katie. I just can't remember the last time you took one, that's all. Did they give you boarding instructions at Bristol station?'

'Oh, ha ha, you are fucking hilarious, babe.' Katie's oh so serious, disgruntled expression proved too much for Emily's heroic attempts at self-control and she burst into a fit of giggles which eventually succeeded in melting Katie's heart of stone. Soon the two of them were laughing their heads off, despite Katie pretending to be serious and offended, repeatedly protesting 'It's not funny!' and swiping her sister with a cushion until she finally stopped laughing and begged for mercy.

'I need a drink,' said Katie after the two sisters had stopped laughing.

'What do you want?' asked Emily, getting up and starting to make for the kitchen. 'I can put the kettle on and make us a cup of tea or coffee.'

'I need something much stronger,' insisted Katie, rummaging around in her holdall before finally pulling out a large bottle of whiskey with a flourish. 'There you are. That's my modest contribution to tonight's party menu. I don't see why we shouldn't make a start on it now.'

Emily took the bottle that Katie held out to her with a gracious word of thanks but decided she would lay off the hard stuff until all the guests had arrived and she could really let her hair down. She would make a cup of tea for herself but Katie was clearly expecting to be poured a generous measure of scotch to bring the colour back to her pale complexion and the redhead duly obliged her thirsty sister.

'There you go, sis. You look like you need it. Obviously it's been quite an ordeal having to mix with the riff-raff on the way over here. But you're safe now. You'll be hobnobbing with only the most sophisticated and intellectual members of Oxford society tonight!'

**PART 3**

'So come on, Effy, tell me all about last night, then.' Naomi had decided to stop questioning Effy any more about what Emily had been up to and reluctantly accept her friend's insistent promises that there was nothing for her to be worried about. She still felt very anxious about where her professor fitted in with all this cloak and dagger shenanigans but clearly she wasn't going to get Effy to reveal the whole truth.

'There's nothing to tell. Nothing happened. I just stayed over at his place because I was too wasted to make it back to yours.'

'Oh, come on! You mean you spent the night with some tall handsome policeman who you obviously fancy the arse off and you _didn't_ get off with him?'

Effy took another puff of weed and passed it over to Naomi, nodding silently. Naomi raised an eyebrow in surprise before she too took a considered drag. 'You must be losing your touch, girl,' she concluded. 'Either that or this stuff has taken away your sex drive. Jesus! Where did you get this from? It's…pretty potent.'

Effy smiled but didn't answer. She rarely revealed the sources of her stash of illegal substances, even to her best friends. She found it made life less complicated and didn't fuck up friendships she wanted to keep.

'Even if I'd wanted to I was in no fit state to do anything about it,' she admitted with a rueful grin. 'I was way too far gone. But next time, who knows? It might be his lucky day.'

'So, you do like him, then?'

'Yeah, I like him. There's something very…..calming and reassuring about him. He's very much in control of himself and his emotions. And he's quite mysterious about his past. I think he's keeping quite a lot of serious shit back. I want to know about him. I get the feeling he's had a very interesting life.'

'Oh, well, you two should get on like a house on fire, shouldn't you? You seem like two of a kind. What about your rich bit of posh back home? Have you really dumped him? '

'Not yet,' said Effy, taking the last drag of weed before disposing of it under the soil where they lay stretched out in the park. 'But I guess it'll be all over when I drive back home and return his car.'

'I bet he went fucking ape when he found it had gone!' Naomi burst out laughing at the image of Effy's spoilt little rich kid going berserk on discovering one of his precious motors had been nicked right under his very nose. Served the tosser right, she thought. He didn't deserve Effy, the useless, stuck-up, arrogant wanker!

Effy smiled at the hilarious image she sensed they were both sharing in their minds. She wasn't going to lose any sleep over him any more, she had decided. Not now she had met the next fish in the sea. She glanced at her watch and saw it was coming up to the time when they should be making tracks home to spring the surprise birthday party on a still unsuspecting and clearly troubled Naomi. 'Come on, Naomi,' she said, getting to her feet and holding out a hand to the blonde to help her up. 'It's time we made our way home. I reckon Emily will have got everything done by the time we get back.'

'I'm still not sure I want to find out what's been going on,' said Naomi with a pained expression on her face as she turned to look at Effy. I'm still afraid Emily's been hiding something from me that's going to really hurt me when I find out.'

'No, she hasn't! Look, you're getting your knickers in a twist about nothing, I promise. You're going to love what she's done, trust me! Now stop your whining and get your arse into gear, otherwise I'm going to chuck you in that lake and tell Emily you've done a runner.'

**PART 4**

Everyone stood around admiring JJ and Lara's birthday present for Naomi.

'She's going to be absolutely made up,' slurred Katie, already on her second whisky of the afternoon.

'Do you really think so?' asked an anxious JJ who so wanted Naomi to like it but wasn't as convinced as the rest of them as to how she would take it. It was a bit of a punt, he knew, but he couldn't think of what else to get her.

'Definitely!' agreed Emily who had fallen in love with it already. Her mobile rang and she saw that it was Effy calling. She picked up the call, listened for a few seconds and simply replied 'Okay. We're all ready and waiting here See you in a couple of minutes,' before hanging up.

'They'll be back any minute now,' she cried, getting all excited and breathless with anticipation. 'Come on, take up your positions like I told you. And don't make a sound. I want you all to be a complete surprise for her.'

Katie, JJ and Lara retreated into the kitchen, JJ holding the present, and shut the door behind them leaving Emily to wait in the living room. A few minutes later she heard the sound of a car pulling up outside the house and then shortly afterwards Naomi and Effy's voices as they approached the front door. She couldn't help holding her breath even though there was no real need for her to, so full of nervous anticipation was she about what was going to happen. She sat impatiently on the sofa and waited for the two girls to come in through the front door. She could hear Naomi's first few words of amazement as she immediately caught sight of all the birthday bunting Emily had put up in the hall.

'What the….fuck…?' stuttered Naomi, gobsmacked at the sight that met her eyes as she walked into the house. Effy smiled at the blonde and pushed her gently in front of her and told her to keep going on into the front room. When Naomi came into the room and saw the full effect of Emily's hard work during her absence her mouth flew open and she just stood in the middle of the room, not knowing quite what to say or think.

'Happy birthday, babes!' squealed Emily, grinning all over her face and totally loving seeing her girlfriend's shocked reaction. 'I hope you like it. It's taken me all afternoon to set all this stuff up.'

'It's AMAZING' said Naomi, bringing both hands up to her face in astonishment and then breaking out into a massive smile. 'You mean you've gone to all this trouble just for me, just for the two of us here tonight? Sorry, I mean the three of us,' she added hastily, looking across apologetically at Effy.

'Not quite, sweetheart. There's a lot more to see. Come into the kitchen and have a look. There's an even bigger surprise in there.' Emily grabbed hold of Naomi's hand and gently led her out of the living room and over towards the kitchen which Naomi hadn't noticed was unusually closed when she came in. She opened the kitchen door and motioned to Naomi to go through which she did to be instantly met by a chorus of high pitched cries of 'SURPRISE!' from Katie, JJ and Lara. This unexpected shock completely freaked out Naomi who screamed at the top of her voice at the sight of their closest friends from Bristol standing in their kitchen, wishing her Happy Birthday.

The next couple of minutes can only be described as complete bedlam as the decibel levels reached epic proportions. Katie, JJ and Lara in turn threw their arms around Naomi and gave her an enormous bear hug, everyone was laughing, smiling, screeching and talking all at the same time as the excitement level reached fever pitch.

Eventually calm was restored after a fashion and the noise abated to a more acceptable level where people could actually hear what others were saying. Naomi was emotionally drained already and was holding on to Emily for dear life, her arms wrapped around her girlfriend's neck, crying her eyes out as she realised what the purpose of Emily's odd and secretive behaviour over the last week had been about.

'I can't believe you arranged all this for me behind my back,' she cried into her girlfriend's ear. 'It's wonderful.'

'It's been an absolute bugger to plan and keep it a secret from you, you know, babes,' said Emily, likewise in tears of joy and not a little relief that the subterfuge was finally over. 'And this isn't everyone either. Loads of other people are coming tonight. I've invited some of the students and the teaching staff from college as well as a few people from the paper who you like.'

Naomi stared at Emily in utter disbelief as the penny dropped with those last words of Emily's. 'Oh my God! Have you….did you invite Eleanor tonight?'

'Of course I did! I knew you would have wanted her to be here!'

Naomi burst into a fresh bout of tears that made her shoulders shake violently for a good minute as a bewildered Emily fought to calm her down as the blonde clung on to her so desperately that she feared she would have collapsed to the floor if she hadn't kept a tight hold of her. 'What's the matter, Naoms? Why are you so upset?'

Eventually Naomi's tears subsided and she started sniffing and wiping her eyes as the others looked on in a mixture of amusement and bewilderment. Emily repeated her questions and Naomi smiled through a thin veil of tears and whispered in Emily's ear, 'I'll tell you later. I'm not upset, honestly. I'm so happy you wouldn't believe. I'll explain everything later on…after I've got pissed and plucked up the courage.'

'JJ, I think it's time you gave Naomi your present, don't you?' said Emily, releasing Naomi from the vice-like grip she had on the blonde who was now smiling rather sheepishly at everyone, thoroughly ashamed at the scene she had just made them witness. JJ nodded and went out through the back door of the kitchen for a few moments while Emily held on to a bemused Naomi and told her to wait and see what JJ and Lara had brought her. JJ reappeared at the back door, carrying Naomi's present for her to see at the sight of which Naomi's mouth fell open in complete shock. JJ was cradling in his arms a little brown and white Jack Russell puppy, barely more than eight weeks old who immediately began wagging its tail and yelping excitedly, presumably at the sight of its new mistress and owner.

.


	7. Chapter 7

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Naomi's tailing of Emily provides her with no clear answers as to what Emily is up to. Effy reassures Naomi she has nothing to worry about and drags her out for the afternoon, leaving Emily free to make the final preparations for the party. Katie is the first to arrive and her behaviour worries Emily. Effy questions Naomi about her new friendship with Sgt James Hathaway. Naomi is stunned on arriving home to find out about the surprise party Emily has arranged and equally thrilled to be given a puppy for her birthday by JJ and Lara.

**CHAPTER SEVEN: **

**PART 1**

Under normal circumstances one can perfectly well understand someone getting a bit miffed at being upstaged on what was meant to be their own big day. No-one likes not being the centre of attention when all eyes are supposed to be on _them_, when all the invited guests have come to celebrate _their_ special occasion - not even a duchess. But on this occasion Naomi didn't feel the least bit put out that everyone gathered that early evening at the Fitch-Campbell residence in Oxford was temporarily besotted not with her, the birthday girl, but with the new puppy, her birthday present.

The latest edition to the household was revelling in the attention he was getting from all sides. Cries of 'Oh, he's _so_ fucking cute!', 'Completely adorable!' and 'What a _brilliant_ present, JJ' rang all around as everyone got down on their hands and knees to stroke, tickle and generally fuss over the little fellow to distraction. The puppy was almost beside himself with excitement, his tail wagging so violently and continuously that it seemed almost in danger of dropping off. He scampered from one admirer to another, jumping up at each in turn, trying literally to lick their face off and giving excited little yelps and barks that bore witness to just how much he was loving every second of being the star attraction in the temporary spotlight.

To JJ's huge relief he could see that Naomi had clearly fallen in love with him at first sight. She could hardly take her eyes off the puppy and sat in the middle of the kitchen floor with a huge grin on her face as she watched him get ever more fussed over and admired with every passing moment.

'What are you going to call him, Naoms?' asked Emily who was so thrilled to see how completely taken her girlfriend was with their new pet.

'Um….I really don't know,' replied the blonde hesitantly, taking her eyes off the puppy for the first time and looking up at Emily nonplussed before switching her attention over towards JJ and Lara. 'Have you already given him a name, guys?'

'Not really,' said JJ, exchanging glances with Lara. 'We did think about calling him Jack – you know, coz he's a Jack Russell but we gave up on that idea fairly quickly.'

'No, _you_ didn't reject it JJ, **I **did!' insisted Lara pointedly to the laughter of all the others. 'I told him that was a really unimaginative name for a Jack Russell. He'd have gone ahead and called him Jack if I hadn't squelched the idea.'

'I know!' shrieked Katie suddenly as she sat cross-legged on the floor tickling the puppy behind its soft, floppy ears whilst trying not to fall over. 'If you can't call him Jack coz it's just too obvious, then what about Russell?' Despairing groans and audible gasps of disbelief and derision quickly gave way to outbursts of hysterical laughter and giggling amongst the whole gang assembled as all eyes swivelled to focus on Katie who looked across at everyone in obvious bewilderment at their reaction. 'What? Why are you all laughing?'

'You cannot be serious, Katie,' said Emily, 'that's a terrible idea!'

Katie stared at all the chortling, giggling faces and a bemused, vacant expression spread across her face. 'Why is it so terrible? I think Russell's a really nice name. I went out with a guy called Russell once. He was really sweet, just like this puppy.'

'It might be an okay name for a guy or even any other type of dog but definitely NOT a Jack Russell,' said Naomi politely but firmly. 'Besides which….. I've thought of a really good name now.'

'What?' asked all the others in unison, eager to hear the official announcement.

'Guys – meet the newest addition to the Fitch-Campbell House of Fun. I give you…HARVEY!'

Murmurs and cries of approval ran round the room and Emily nodded at Naomi in joyful agreement. 'Harvey! I love it, Naoms,' she said.

'Harvey! Come to Mummy,' cried Naomi holding her arms outstretched towards the little dog who seemingly on hearing his name, although animal psychologists would probably have us believe it was more to do with the sound and tone of Naomi's voice than what she was actually saying, recognised the call of his new owner and immediately leapt up, trotted over to her and jumped into her welcoming arms.

'Good boy, Harvey, good boy!' praised Naomi with a broad smile, as she stroked the excited puppy and cuddled him lovingly to her chest, 'You've picked that command up very quickly. Now all I've got to do is teach Ems how to come that quickly when I call _her_ name!'

**PART 2**

By seven thirty Naomi's birthday party was in full swing. Having been dragged upstairs by Emily to change into some more appropriate and glamorous party gear, she had returned downstairs to find that the music had started, the bottles and cans of beer, wine and spirits had been opened and everyone was already tucking in to the party food, lovingly prepared and laid out by Emily. Gradually other guests started to arrive, much to Naomi's delight and surprise. These included a good number of her fellow students at the university whom she had made friends with since her arrival in Oxford, some of the lecturers and professors including, to Naomi's huge yet painstakingly concealed embarrassment, her own Professor Eleanor Derbyshire and a couple of the administrative staff who had taken Naomi under their wing from very early on.

Some of the staff employed at the local newspaper where Emily worked had also turned up and it was the chief editor whose ears Naomi was currently burning, flushed as she was with uninhibited joy at the occasion and fuelled by the regular intake of booze which was making her lose whatever fragments of diplomacy and tact she possessed when stone cold sober. She had cornered the poor bastard in the kitchen by the taramasalata and was giving him a piece of her mind about what she deemed to be his appalling treatment of Emily since she joined the paper.

'You've got NO idea how demotivated and frustrated you've made her feel, you know? She's got potential, you know, real potential to be a bloody great writer if you'd only give her a chance.'

'I _do_ give her chances to show us what she can do, Naomi. That's not fair. She's written a number of articles which have appeared in the paper. I promise you we don't see her as the office junior any more, simply there to make the tea and fetch everyone's lunch.'

'Oh yeah, you've given her some serious shit to cover, haven't you? Dog stuck up a tree, the appalling state of some of the roads, where the next supermarket's going to be built. She's told me all about those crappy pieces she's been given. They're _really_ going to show off her writing skills, aren't they? She doesn't even get to see her own name above them.'

'Well, I'm sorry you see it like that, Naomi but I can assure you as far as I'm concerned Emily's doing very well but she is still a junior reporter after all. I can't go giving the most important and complex assignments to the least experienced member of my team. It just wouldn't be right!'

'Look, I hear what you say,' said Naomi, knocking back the remaining half of her generous glass of vodka and ice in one impressive gulp,' 'but with all due respect, and _please _don't take this the wrong way, what you've just said is… how can I put it…..complete and utter FUCKING BOLLOCKS!' She then flashed a sweet smile at the poor beleaguered chief editor, whose jaw dropped a good few inches and whose mouth flew open in amazement at being given such a hard time by his employee's 'companion', turned smartly on her heels and headed back to her girlfriend and the bottle of vodka.

'Jesus Christ! That chief editor of yours really is a total dickhead,' said Naomi, putting her arm around Emily's shoulder and holding her empty glass out for Effy to give her a refill.

'Oh God, Naoms, what the hell have you been saying to him?' Emily shot a terrified look at her girlfriend who stood there shaking her head in barely controlled indignation.

'Nothing much, really. I just told him I thought he was in danger of underestimating your talents as a writer and that perhaps he might consider giving you some rather more challenging and rewarding assignments in the future.'

'You said that to him?' smiled Andrew Grainger, a journalist of some two years experience on the paper and who sympathised greatly with what Emily was going through having undergone the same excessive kid glove treatment himself for the first year after he joined the firm.

'Well, maybe I didn't put it _quite_ in those terms but that was the gist of it anyway,' said Naomi turning her head round and scowling impressively in the direction of the kitchen where the editor was doubtless still reeling from her verbal onslaught and afraid to come out again until she had calmed down.

'For God's sake, Naoms, I've got to face him on Monday morning, you know?' Emily sounded so genuinely worried that Naomi immediately felt guilty for having shot her mouth off the way she just did and for giving Emily such cause for concern for her job. It was only that she couldn't stand seeing other people not recognise and appreciate Emily's abilities and potential in the same way that she did.

'I'm sorry, babe. I guess I lost my rag for a minute. It just seemed like too good an opportunity to miss finding him on his own like that. I felt like I had to give him hell for pissing you about so much. Look, don't you worry about a thing. I'll go over and apologise in a minute, okay? I'll tell him it was only the drink talking and to forget what I said.'

'Promise me you will?'

'I promise, sweetheart.'

'If it's any consolation, Emily,' said Andrew in a friendly tone, 'it's nothing personal. He's like that with everyone who joins the paper. I remember he made my life hell for the first year. He still does, if you want to know the truth. He once pulled a story I was going to run which would have been the biggest story of my career, I mean _really_ big, even by Oxford Herald standards. I knew every word of it was true even if some of the evidence was a bit, well….. circumstantial'

'The bastard wouldn't run with it?' asked Effy, who had been unobtrusively listening to the conversation in amused silence as was her wont.

'No. He said he needed more hard proof. Told me to get back out there and find him some real evidence that we could print. I was furious. I knew I wouldn't get anything more – I thought I'd done bloody well to get what I already had. The fucking coward. I've still never forgiven him for that. I could have really made my name with that story, I could have sold it to the tabloids, made an absolute killing but he wouldn't have it.'

'Oh well, I suppose I'd better go and crawl my way back into his good books and beg him not to take it out on you, Ems,' sighed Naomi, knowing she'd brought this uncomfortable apology on herself, and she moved off towards the kitchen, willing herself to put on a cheery smile and a contrite attitude for Emily's sake.

**PART 3**

James Hathaway had been at the party for almost an hour now but was still finding himself sharing centre stage with Harvey for attention, particularly amongst certain house guests. Effy had been playing it typically cool since his arrival, going to great lengths not to frighten the shit out of him and send him running for the hills by being demonstrably affectionate with him. She refused to introduce him as anything more than 'just someone I've met in Oxford' and refrained from hanging on his arm or taking his hand, maintaining a respectable distance between the two of them at all times. She certainly wouldn't have dreamt of following him around as some women might have been tempted to do. She was playing it very cool and low key which had the unfortunate effect of encouraging an increasingly drunken Katie to make a serious play for the sergeant whom she'd buttonholed for the last twenty minutes and was giving him the full starry-eyed chat up routine, made worse by the occasional slurring of her words.

'So, tell me what it's like being a policeman, James,' asked Katie in excruciatingly simpering and gushing style, leaning close in to Hathaway as she wobbled slightly on far from steady feet. 'It must be terribly exciting and dangerous!'

Hathaway wrinkled his nose as he quietly contemplated the twin sister of his hostess with mild amusement. 'Not really. A lot of what we do is quite dull and tedious actually. Lots of interviewing people, writing up reports, checking up information, I don't think you'd find it at all interesting, Katie.'

'Oh,' said Katie, clearly disappointed and deflated by Hathaway's underwhelming response. 'I thought you'd have loads of fascinating stories about breathtaking, death-defying car chases and top secret, undercover missions to arrest drug barons or serial killers and stuff like that.'

Hathaway caught sight of Effy pissing herself laughing behind Katie's shoulder. She had clearly overheard part of their conversation as she was chatting to JJ and Lara and Hathaway had to really concentrate hard on keeping a straight face and not bursting out laughing at Katie's ever so serious expression. 'I'm afraid that stuff only happens in TV cop shows, Katie. Real police work is very different – nowhere near as glamorous and interesting.'

'But you must get some exciting cases to investigate, surely?' persisted Katie, determined not to let him off that easily.

'What about this horrific case that's been splashed all over the local paper this week?' asked Naomi who had caught the end of their conversation. 'That poor guy who had his head chopped off? Are you working on that?'

Hathaway nodded silently and sipped at his orange juice. He didn't much like discussing his work out of office hours, never mind with a whole bunch of strangers. He found his job either turned people right off him immediately or, even worse, encouraged the bloodthirsty gore-fanatics to try to get him to spill all the gruesome details of a case which the newspapers weren't privy to. Either way he usually looked to switch the topic of conversation away from his work as soon as it was brought up.

'It's very early days,' was all he said. 'We've only just started so don't even think of asking me about it, okay. Besides, this is a party, right? We're here to have fun, not talk about people being murdered. Or at least I am.'

'It's just that I knew him – well, only slightly, that is. He was a lecturer in my college. I mean, he didn't teach _me,_' Naomi added quickly, seeing Katie's big eyes and fascinated expression turn towards her, 'but I'd seen him around a few times. I think Eleanor knew him quite well, obviously and the rest of the teaching staff in the college too.'

Hathaway made a mental note of Naomi's acquaintance with their murder victim in case it might prove useful to speak to her officially during their enquiries. He made a pretext of getting another drink to extricate himself sensitively from Katie's persistent and increasingly desperate clutches and moved away to rejoin a still highly amused Effy.

'Christ, Katie, you're really knocking it back tonight, aren't you?' Naomi remarked with a not unfriendly smile which concealed her rising concern. Katie never used to be as big a drinker as this and Naomi was rather alarmed to see her putting so much away so early on in the evening. She could at least pace herself a bit more, thought the blonde.

'I'm having _fun_, Naomi. Do you remember fun? We used to have quite a lot of it when we were at college. Or are you far too busy now with your boring DhP and your highbrow, sophisticated Oxford life to just enjoy yourself any more?'

Katie was swaying alarmingly from side to side as she sought to justify herself to her long-standing sparring partner with whom she had enjoyed many a battle of words and occasionally fists over her twin.

'I think you mean PhD, Katie,' said Naomi biting her lip to prevent a snigger from coming out which she suspected would have only wound Katie up even more. The tipsy girl seemed intent on getting well and truly hammered as quickly as possible. Naomi was extremely keen to avoid any unpleasant and unnecessary scenes from kicking off which could ruin the happy party atmosphere and would inevitably upset and disappoint Emily who had gone to so much trouble in arranging the evening.

'Whatever, Naomi. Either way, you guys have just become boring and not fun any more.' Katie finished off the dregs of her drink and turned away to attempt to plough a route back through everyone and over to the booze supplies in the kitchen.

'Katie, wait,' cried Naomi, conjuring a sudden rescue plan on the spot.. 'Do you fancy some fresh air? We could go out and have a smoke…you know?' Naomi winked slyly yet discreetly at Katie who stared at the blonde in complete bewilderment. 'A smoke, Katie, do you follow me? I've been going _potty_ for the last hour or two, absolutely gasping for one but I don't think Sgt Hathaway would be that keen on us lighting up in here, d'you get me?'

Suddenly Katie's mouth flew wide open as the penny finally dropped and she began nodding furiously in agreement that this was a heck of a good idea. Naomi grabbed hold of her hand and carefully but firmly guided her out of the room, into the kitchen and out through the back door into the garden. She led the now giggling girl over towards the shed at the bottom of the garden and gently pushed her inside, pulling the door half to behind them. Naomi was counting on a bit of harmless dope to help Katie chill out and slow down her relentless and excessive drinking progress for the rest of the evening. It was worth a try, she thought. The things she did for her Emily in the name of love!

**PART 4**

Emily had been so preoccupied with making sure that Naomi's surprise party was a success that all other thoughts had flown clean out of her mind. Typical of a good hostess she had spent much of the evening fussing over all the guests, making sure everyone was having a good time, checking that any bottles which were in danger of running out were swiftly replaced, bringing out more food from the fridge or the cupboards when further supplies were called for and generally overseeing the whole proceedings.

So it wasn't until several hours had passed when she finally found herself able to relax and just enjoy herself that she suddenly remembered that JJ had texted her earlier in the week about having some amazing news to tell everyone. Filled with anticipation and ashamed of having forgotten all about it until then she immediately tracked down JJ and found him sitting at the foot the stairs quietly talking with Lara.

'JJ! I'm so sorry! I'd completely forgotten you said you had some amazing news to tell us. What is it?'

JJ exchanged a shy glance with Lara before looking up at an excited Emily who was all agog with curiosity. He seemed strangely reluctant to tell, now that Emily had cornered him and put him on the spot, but after some slight hesitation and further impatient prompting from Emily he finally spilled the beans.

'Well, you and Naomi are not the only couple facing the prospect of looking after a new addition to the family,' he said, not deliberating trying to be obtuse but it was just the JJ style to describe simple facts in cryptic, convoluted, almost mysterious terms.

'He _doesn't_ mean we're getting another dog as well, by the way,' said Lara smiling indulgently at JJ whose inability or reluctance to explain things simply and directly never ceased to amuse her. Emily looked blankly at the couple for a second or two before exploding into spontaneous screams and squeals of happiness.

'OH MY GOD! You're having a baby! Oh my God! That is awesome! I don't believe it! OH MY GOD!'

Emily was so thrilled for the pair of them that she almost literally threw herself into their arms and hugged the life out of them, before quickly realising that suffocating a pregnant woman was probably not the best thing for the unborn baby and releasing her stranglehold on Lara with a swift, embarrassed, profuse apology. 'Oh, shit, I'm SO sorry, Lara. I didn't mean to squeeze the life out of you. I was just so excited.'

Lara smiled at Emily and reassured her that no damage had been done. 'It's okay, Emily. Calm down. It's fine. I'm only two months pregnant. There's hardly anything of it yet.' Emily's high pitched screams of delight had clearly managed to filter through the thumping sound of the music and the general murmur of party chatter. Within next to no time the three of them had been joined in the hall by Naomi, Katie and Effy who would have recognised and been somewhat alarmed by Emily's excited shrieks and squeals. The news of JJ's and Lara's forthcoming parenthood was instantly communicated by a still overjoyed Emily leading to more celebratory hugs, kisses and embraces all round.

'This calls for champagne, Ems,' announced Naomi. 'We've still got one bottle left over from last Christmas, haven't we?' Emily nodded and went off to the kitchen to dig it out and rustle up enough glasses for all of them. She returned a couple of minutes later carrying a small tray with six glasses of fizz on it whereupon they all linked arms to form a circle in the hall and joyfully toasted the happy parents-to-be. They were still standing around chattering away excitedly about the news when the door bell rung. Emily passed her glass over to Naomi to hold for her and went to open the door, intrigued as to who this new caller might be. She thought pretty much everyone she had invited had already turned up so when she opened the door she was stunned into temporary open-mouthed silence to find a very familiar face standing on the step, complete with a huge grin and a cheery, warm and affectionate greeting.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

As you have guessed by now, the events of Naomi's surprise birthday party will be stretching over more than one chapter as I found there was a hell of a lot I wanted to pack into one action-filled evening. Trying to cram everything into one chapter would have inevitably made the chapter even longer than normal (!) so I decided the best option would be to split the evening up over more than one. Hopefully you will agree I made the right decision as I know my chapters already tend to be rather on the long side!

**Any guesses as to who the mystery visitor might be?** I would be interested to hear who you think it is or who you want it to be (not that I haven't already decided on who it is!). There is still plenty of drama to come from this evening's party and I hope many of you will be keen to see how the story unfolds in the next chapter. I have plenty of shocks, revelations and twists and turns still to come. This is still really only the beginning!

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	8. Chapter 8

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Naomi's new puppy Harvey is the centre of attention at the start of the party. A slightly tipsy Naomi gives a piece of her mind to Emily's boss at the newspaper for not giving her enough chances to shine at her job. A far drunker Katie tries unsuccessfully to chat up Sgt Hathaway, much to Effy's amusement. JJ reveals his big news to the rest of the gang – Lara is pregnant and he is going to be a father! An unexpected late visitor to the party turns up on the doorstep.

**CHAPTER EIGHT: **

**PART 1**

Emily wasn't normally lost for words. She could usually be relied upon to speak her mind, to show her feelings, positive as well as negative in any given situation. But as she stood rooted to the spot on the doorstep, staring hypnotically at this unexpected visitor like someone caught in a trance, no words would come out of her mouth. She was vaguely aware of opening her mouth to attempt to say something but clearly all words must have failed her for she couldn't hear the sound of her own voice.

'Hey, what's up, Emilio? Cat got your tongue? Don't you recognise me? I can't have changed that much.'

No, he hadn't changed much, hardly anything at all, in fact. It wasn't because she was struggling to recognise who this mystery caller was that she had been temporarily rendered speechless. She'd have known him anywhere, she thought, probably from any distance and in any light. He wasn't exactly someone you would ever forget or mistake, after all. James Cook was unique, a one-off and certainly never likely to be confused with anybody else one might have known.

'Are you going to invite me in, babe or shall we just party out here in the front garden. I'm easy, as you know, but I think it would more comfortable inside.'

Emily finally found the ability to make a sound, however odd and unintelligible it must have seemed as it came out as a cross between a gasp and a strangled cry. 'Cook! What the fuck… ?' but she stopped herself in mid-sentence and had just enough presence of mind to close the door behind her and drag a smiling Cook away from the doorstep and off to the side where they were out of sight of anyone inside.

'What the _hell _are you doing here?' There were a great many questions Emily could have asked Cook. She could have easily compiled an impressive list given pen and paper and a couple of minutes but this simple one seemed to suggest itself most prominently. Cook looked at her with a mischievous grin, matched only by that familiar twinkle in his eyes before giving her a straight albeit surprising answer.

'Well, it's Naomi's birthday, isn't it? I know she didn't actually send me an invite but I guess she meant to and just simply forgot.'

Emily was having a lot of trouble getting her head round this. All kinds of thoughts and emotions were assailing her confused and bewildered mind at the same time and she wasn't sure she knew which she felt the most strongly. 'How did you know where to find us? And how did you know I had planned a party for her tonight? What the fuck's going on here, Cook?'

'You don't seem like you're pleased to see me, Emilio.' Cook looked at Emily suspiciously and waited patiently for an answer which took its time in coming.

Emily stared back at Cook in disbelief and replied in a low voice which had a touch of an apology about it, 'Of course I'm pleased to see you again, Cook. I'm just….in shock, I suppose. This all seems a bit …..unreal at the moment.'

Cook gently pulled the redhead over towards him and gave her a warm hug which Emily didn't attempt to fight off but rather meekly gave in to. She _was_ pleased to see him…..she thought. Pleased and yet baffled and confused.

'Who else is inside?' he asked after they pulled away from each other and looked into each other's eyes, standing just a few inches apart. 'Apart from Naomikins, that is.'

JJ? Lara? Katie?'

Emily nodded silently. Cook paused for a few seconds. 'Effy?' Again Emily nodded.

'Well, I think it's time we went inside and I said hello to everyone, don't you?'

'Cook!' she said with anxiety etched all over her face

'What?'

'Just…..go easy on Effy, will you? She's had a rough time since you…..buggered off without a word. It'll be an even bigger shock for _her_ to see you again than it's been for me.'

'Sure, babe,' said Cook with a knowing wink and a smile and he followed her back over to the front door and waited calmly for her to push it open. As she half entered the hallway she saw Naomi, Katie, JJ and Lara look up at her with puzzled expressions on their faces.

'Ems? Where've you been? Who was it at the door?' asked Naomi

'Prepare yourself for a shock, guys. You'll never guess who's turned up to gatecrash the party.' Emily stood slightly to one side to allow Cook to walk forward and greet his old friends with a warm smile. The shockwaves that ran through the whole group were so strong that you could almost feel the electric current as it spread from one person to the next. All eyes widened and protruded as if on stalks and all mouths shot open and maintained their pose for such an unnaturally long time that the picture presented had all the appearance of guppy fish at feeding time. Collectively they gave the impression that they had all just seen a ghost and to some of them that was precisely how that sudden shock moment felt.

**PART 2**

'So where the fuck did you get to, Cook?' Naomi decided not to beat about the bush and directly asked the one question that had been on everyone's lips from the moment he had walked so nonchalantly and casually into the house.

'When d'you mean?' he replied, showing he had not lost his capacity to infuriate by answering a question with a question of his own.

'In the middle of the party we were having in Freddie's shed - about five years ago, I think. Have you forgotten when you last saw all of us? What happened? Did you suddenly remember you had left the gas on and had to shoot off back home to turn it off?'

'And then forgot all about us and buggered off the face of the planet for the next five years?' Katie added her piece for what it was worth, as she fought to stay on her feet by clinging on to the banister for dear life.

'Yeah, sorry about that guys. Something important came up, you know. Something I had to deal with right there and then.'

'Cook, what was _so_ important that it made you just disappear out of our lives for FIVE whole years?' Emily was so angry and upset that she couldn't stop her question from sounding like an accusation.

'Look, guys, I can't tell you…not just yet, anyway. Maybe in a little while, but not right now. It's ….like, complicated, alright?'

'Where have you been all this time, then?' asked Naomi, clearly unimpressed with Cook's vague answers so far but determined to get some information out of him.

'Oh, all over the place. Up north, mainly. And abroad for a while.'

'Abroad? Where? How did you manage that? I thought the police made you surrender your passport when you went inside?'

Cook nodded and tiled his head back to gulp down a huge mouthful of lager from the can that Emily had brought him on his arrival. 'They did.'

'So….?' Emily left her question unfinished and just raised an eyebrow in baffled enquiry.

'Listen guys, it's not that difficult to get hold of another passport if you know the right people.'

'And you know the right people, of course,' Naomi shook her head and stared Cook down. She had often wondered from time to time what had happened to Cook, where he had got to, whether he was okay or whether he had got himself into some serious shit. It sounded like he just couldn't stay away from trouble, couldn't keep his nose clean for five minutes. He would probably always be breaking the law for the rest of his life, thought Naomi and from the stunned looks on everyone else's faces she was sure they were all thinking the same as her. He hasn't changed a bit. C-O-O-K still spelt Trouble, for him and for everyone who knew him or came into contact with him.

'You know technically you're still wanted by the police?' said Emily in hushed tones, wondering if she should warn Cook that there was a copper at the party. 'They may have long since stopped looking for you but they haven't forgotten about you.'

'I can't see them getting too excited about Cook any more, can you?' said JJ, whom Emily had noticed had been strangely silent since Cook had entered the house. 'I mean, it was years ago, wasn't it?'

'The cops don't forget it when someone makes a fool of them,' Naomi stated with a calm authority. 'Trust me, they'll want to pick you up and throw you back inside if they find you, Cook. Be careful, especially tonight.'

Cook was on the point of following up on Naomi's cryptic comment about 'tonight' when he suddenly caught sight of Effy at the back of the living room as she moved into view. 'I'll talk with you later, guys. I've just seen someone I've got to speak to.' Before anyone could tip him the wink he had moved smartly away and into the living room where he stood by the doorway, coolly drinking his beer and fixing his eyes on Effy. The brunette was standing next to Hathaway, drinking her wine and listening to him talking with eyes fixed on his face and a cool, confident smile on her lips.

She must have suddenly become aware that someone was staring at her from across the room. Cook never gave any sort of sign that he was eyeing her up; he didn't call over to her, cough noisily or do anything remotely to draw attention to himself. But somehow, spookily, instinctively Effy must have felt that a familiar, nagging presence had announced itself to her in the room which positively demanded her immediate attention and recognition. Without overtly turning her head away from James but with a mere fleeting swivel of her eyes to her left she rapidly scanned the room and her eyes soon came to rest on Cook, leaning casually against the door frame and smiling over at her.

She gave an audible gasp and her face seemed momentarily to freeze in abject terror as she brought her free hand up to her wide open mouth as if to stifle a scream. Sgt Hathaway couldn't help but notice her sudden startled reaction and he followed her gaze over to the door where he saw Cook start to walk slowly across the half filled room towards them, edging his way around half a dozen other party guests until he arrived in front of the two of them.

'Hey Effy, how are you doing, babe? It's good to see you again,' said Cook with just the suggestion of a mischievous smile playing across his lips.

However staggered and dumbfounded Effy may have been initially to have suddenly caught sight of James Cook after such a long, unexplained absence, she had swiftly regained her normal poise and cool detachment by the time she responded to his warm greeting.

'Hello, Cook. Well, this is one _hell_ of a surprise seeing you here.'

Hathaway turned to look at Effy with an amused expression and enquired with great equanimity, 'You two obviously know each other, then?'

'Oh yes, we go a long way back, us two,' said Effy with a steady voice as she turned a smiling face on Hathaway. 'We used to hang out together at sixth-form college. This is James Cook.'

Cook held out a hand and Hathaway exchanged a firm, respectful handshake with Cook who nodded politely at the sergeant whilst looking him straight in the eyes.

'Cook, this is James Hathaway.'

'Snap!' said Cook, forcing out a slightly unnatural laugh.

'Not quite,' smiled Effy wryly. 'He's _Sgt_James Hathaway of the Thames Valley CID.'

'Police? So, are you on duty, then? Is this a drugs bust or something like that?'

Hathaway shook his head. 'No, nothing like that, I can assure you.'

'I invited James to come to the party with me, Cook. He's very much off duty tonight, aren't you, James?'

'I sincerely hope so,' Hathaway replied, looking at Cook thoughtfully but still with a benign expression which he hoped Cook wouldn't take the wrong way. He had a gut feeling that there was a lot of history between Effy and this Cook guy, quite probably a lot of drama and possibly some tension, too. He didn't want to do or say anything that might kick-start a scene between the pair of them, for Effy's sake rather than his own. He had been enjoying a fun evening with Effy and her lively set of friends up until that point and he was anxious for it to stay that way. He hoped that Cook wouldn't want to upset Effy either.

'So, what have you been doing with yourself, Cook? Seen Freddie on your travels, by any chance?' The brunette stared long and hard at Cook as she put the last question to him, waiting to see his reaction.

Cook stood looking at Effy in silence for just long enough for the brunette to feel her stomach begin to tie up in knots and her mouth turn dry before he shook his head. 'Never seen him since the day he disappeared, Ef. That's the God's honest truth.'

'Haven't you even _heard _from him? Have you _no_ idea where he might have got to?'

Again Cook shook his head but Effy thought she could detect an aching pain in his eyes, the briefest flicker of his eyelashes and the tiniest twitch at the corner of his mouth which made her suspect that he might not be telling her the whole truth.

'Believe me, Effy, if I knew where he was I would take you to him myself. He was _my_ best friend too, remember?'

'Is this the boyfriend you told me about who just suddenly vanished one day?' Effy nodded sadly at Hathaway and for the first time that whole evening leant slightly on the sergeant's arm for comfort and support. Her movement, although undemonstrative and furtively carried out, did not go unnoticed by Cook who seemed to freeze for an instant and take a deep breath.

'So, have you two known each other for long?'

Hathaway shook his head. 'Only a few days actually. Our paths crossed on Effy's first morning in Oxford.'

'James very kindly let me off a parking ticket. I've been trying to repay him for that ever since,' explained Effy to Cook with an admirably straight face

Cook chuckled and nodded approvingly at Effy's response. 'Quite right too, Ef. So you should. Look we'll talk later, okay? You make sure you take good care of her, James, d'you hear me? Effy had enough shit in her life already. She doesn't need any more right now. I'll see you later, Effy.'

Having given Hathaway what seemed to Effy to be at the same time a thinly veiled 'hands-off' warning message _and_ an open invitation to look after her which left Effy feeling thoroughly confused, Cook turned smartly on his heels and shot off across the room and out of sight of the two of them within seconds, presumably in search of the rest of the gang and another beer.

**PART 3**

'I've just put your sister in the spare bedroom,' said Eleanor as she met Emily at the foot of the stairs. 'The poor girl's really out of it, I'm afraid. She needs to sleep it off for a while.'

'Oh, God! Thank you _so_ much, Eleanor,' said Emily giving her a grateful smile. 'I don't know what's got in to Katie. She's not normally as bad as that.'

Eleanor smiled back sympathetically at Emily whom she could see was concerned about her twin. 'Well, maybe it's been a while since she's had a chance to let her hair down. I expect she just went off too quickly. It can happen, you know. We've all been there, Emily!'

Emily nodded, understanding the implication of Eleanor's last remark. Naomi had told her a few of the stories of her professor's fairly wild, drunken, high as a kite escapades from her dim and distant past that she had entertained her students with from time to time. Eleanor was a long way from being your typical strait-laced, ultra serious, goody-two-shoes university academic. Much of her past was shrouded in secrecy and mystery but it had clearly contained a liberal amount of drug-taking, alcohol-fuelled sex and riotous behaviour when she was a student. Unsurprisingly it was that part of her life which gave her a certain aura amongst her students and made her so popular and approachable.

'I'd better go up and see how she is, I suppose,' said Emily but before she could make a move up the stairs she was forced to pause for a moment to say goodbye to her boss, the chief editor of the Oxford Herald who had appeared in the hall and was making for the front door and an early exit from the party.

'Thanks so much for coming,' she said, forcing a smile at the man who so frequently frustrated her at work. 'I'm sorry again about what Naomi said. It was just the booze talking. She didn't mean any of it, really.'

'It's fine, Emily, it's fine. I shan't be sacking you on Monday morning, don't you worry, not unless you're late,' he reassured the redhead with one of his little jokes. 'Thank you very much for inviting me – it's been fun. Enjoy the rest of the evening. Bye!'

He smiled at Emily and made for the door which Eleanor helpfully opened for him and stood aside with a brief smile to allow him to pass through the doorway and outside. Having said goodbye Emily ran up the stairs and made for the spare room where she found Katie flat out on the bed, reeking of alcohol and more or less dead to the world. She shook her head in disappointment and sat down on the bed next to her sister and just looked at her lying peacefully for a few moments. She stretched out a hand and gently flicked back a few loose strands of hair which had fallen down over Katie's face and were threatening to drop into her mouth which was half open and emitting those peculiar little breathing noises that only someone pissed out of their brain and trying to sleep off a drunken stupor seem able to produce.

She softly caressed Katie's cheek and wondered what was wrong with her sister to have made her act the way she had done that evening. It was so out of character for her to get this pissed so quickly and miss out on half the fun and games. The feel of Emily's hand on her face, although soft and gentle, had obviously registered with the sleeping young woman's consciousness because almost immediately she let out an involuntary burp of such magnitude that Emily half suspected it might have been heard from downstairs, even with the music still thumping away merrily.

'You and I are going to have a little chat tomorrow, Katie,' she whispered as she watched Katie wriggle slightly and breathe a little faster. 'Something's definitely wrong and I want to find out what it is. You're not going to hide this from me, you hear? I'm not Mum, I'm your sister and we don't keep secrets from each other, do we? I'll leave you to rest now but I'll be back later to check up on you.' She leaned forward over her sister and kissed her lightly on the forehead before getting up off the bed and leaving the room as noiselessly as she had entered it, closing the door behind her.

**PART 4**

At midnight the party was still going strong even though a good number of people by then had already left. The Bristol gang were still all there as was James Hathaway, revelling in a rare night off when he wasn't even on call and taking full advantage of this unaccustomed freedom from police duties to have a couple more drinks than he might normally have done. Not that he was pissed, of course, he had never been one for getting totally off his face, even when he was a student, but comfortably merry nonetheless. Half of Naomi's student friends were still in full flow, clearly intent on fulfilling their mission for the evening of getting utterly wrecked as well as two or three of the teaching staff from Naomi's department who had a well deserved reputation for playing as hard as they worked hard. Eleanor though had said her goodbyes a few minutes earlier, pleading exhaustion and the need for a good night's sleep as she had an early start the next day whereas a couple of the journalists from the paper were loath to leave the party while there was still plenty of free booze to be put away.

Emily and Naomi had retired to the kitchen where they found JJ and Lara playing with Harvey who, after having taken a long nap for the last couple of hours as the breathless excitement of the day had finally worn the little fellow out, was now wide awake again and demanding to be entertained and fussed over.

'Are you sure you want to give him to us, JJ?' asked Naomi as she playfully tickled Harvey's tummy as the puppy rapturously rolled around on the floor with his paws in the air and his belly exposed invitingly to anyone who wouldn't be able to resist it.

'Yes, I'm sure, Naomi. At least I know he's found a good home. He's going to get spoiled rotten, I can see that.'

'He's drop dead gorgeous,' said Emily joining Naomi in the middle of the floor and watching as the blonde stroked Harvey who let out funny little whimpers of pleasure as she did so. 'Wow! Did you hear him just then, Ems? He makes the same kind of noises as you do when I do that!'

Emily pushed a laughing Naomi over in a show of mock embarrassment and indignation and started tickling her girlfriend while a grinning JJ and Lara watched on, hugely amused at the antics of the two girls. Harvey also tried to get in on the act by jumping up and licking Naomi's face, egged on by Emily who was in mood to show any mercy. 'Go on, Harvey, that's right, lick her face off, she's been a very rude, nasty girl. Go on boy, lick her to death, she deserves it.'

A squealing, giggling Naomi pleaded for mercy as she wriggled around helplessly on the floor, desperately trying to escape the twin pronged attack of dog and girlfriend before finally struggling to her feet as Emily took pity on her and picked an excitable, yapping Harvey up in her arms and cuddled him.

'I'm going out for a smoke,' said the blonde, re-arranging her hair which had gone all over the place during her cat and dogfight on the floor. 'I assume the fair Sergeant is still with us?' The others all nodded and assumed that Naomi wasn't referring to a legal nicotine substance.

'Why don't you take Harvey for a walk while you're at it?' suggested Emily. 'He's bound to be really keen to check out his new patch.'

'Okay!' said Naomi and she hunted around for the dog lead which JJ and Lara had brought with them that afternoon. Once located she attached it carefully around Harvey's neck and the puppy immediately got incredibly excited as he knew what was going to happen. His tail started wagging like the clappers and he began barking and jumping up and down at Naomi's legs in sheer excitement at the prospect of a walk with his fabulous new owner in his yet to be explored new neighbourhood.

Fifteen minutes later Naomi was slowly walking Harvey back towards the house along the pavement which backed onto the woods opposite their corner end house, having done a complete circuit of the immediate neighbourhood for Harvey's benefit which she had decided would be his regular night time walk. As she got to the corner of their street Naomi stopped and made a sudden detour into the woods a few yards to make herself one of her infamous 'special' cigarettes and have a quiet, uninterrupted smoke for five minutes.

As she stood there, hidden from view of the house by the thickly leafed trees and by the pitch blackness of the evening, she felt the nervous tension and excitement of this extraordinary day begin to wash over her and seep out of every pore of her body. She felt that emotionally she had been to hell and back in little more than twelve hours but now she was in a really good place and was if anything happier with her life more than she had ever been before. What's more she had two gorgeous creatures in her life to love and to care for, one more than she had started the day with – or quite possibly two more if she was forced to be honest with herself.

As she stood there, inhaling on her joint and feeling the warmth of total contentment and calmness surge through her increasingly chilled out veins, she became aware that Harvey was getting terribly excited and was straining at the lead, trying to get away from her. He had clearly seen or more likely smelt something, Naomi thought, probably some other animal resident of the woods, a rabbit or a squirrel, perhaps - a late night snack, in his eyes. 'What is it Harvey? What have you seen, boy?' she asked the animated puppy who was barking and yapping for all he was worth.

'Come on then, let's see what it is, but only until I've finished this joint,' said Naomi who was feeling sufficiently chilled out to be prepared to indulge the puppy on his first night. She led him a little further into the wood, just half a dozen paces, no more and then the little dog began to get even more excited as he bounded off in front of them, almost yanking Naomi clean off her feet with his speed and frantic eagerness to get to his prey. Naomi clung on to the lead but let him take her where he wanted to go, albeit complaining that this wasn't her idea of taking him out for a nice walk.

Harvey came to a halt and started furiously sniffing and pawing at something on the ground which just looked like a large, dark, shapeless mass to Naomi. It could have been almost anything in the virtual pitch dark but once Naomi had dug out her cigarette lighter, flicked on the flame, knelt down and held the bright flame out in front of her, she could see very clearly what it was. It was a body and a dead body at that. The person was lying naked on its back and she could see it was a man. But what was worse still than that horrific discovery, what really made her scream at the top of her voice in abject terror was when she realised that the dead man was missing one very vitally important organ.

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	9. Chapter 9

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Cook makes a shock appearance on the doorstep and a shocked Emily invites him in. He comes under persistent questioning from Naomi, Katie & JJ about where he's been since he disappeared but reveals little to them. Cook watches Effy flirting with Hathaway at the party and comes over to chat briefly with a stunned Effy while Hathaway looks on, intrigued. A seriously pissed Katie is taken upstairs to crash out in the spare room. Naomi takes Harvey for a walk and on the way back discovers a badly mutilated dead body in the woods opposite the house.

**CHAPTER NINE: **

**PART 1**

Laura Hobson sat back in the beautifully upholstered settee in DI Lewis' living room and closed her eyes, wishing she hadn't eaten quite so much that evening. It had been a wonderful dinner she had enjoyed with Robbie but now was the moment when she began to pay the price, beginning with a very full stomach and a suspicion that she had probably drunk just a little bit too much wine than she was used to and was good for her. Robbie hadn't even tried to keep pace with her, not being a big drinker himself but he had been most attentive throughout the evening, always topping up her glass when required. 'Are you trying to get me drunk?' she had laughingly accused Lewis at one point to which he had merely smiled and coolly protested his innocence.

Lewis had offered coffee back at his place after they left the restaurant, an offer which she had accepted gratefully and as she rested her weary mind while he was out in the kitchen she looked back over the evening and recalled with genuine warmth and pleasure the delightful conversations, jokes, stories plus the odd gripe here and there that they had exchanged over dinner. On such a rare evening of relaxation and respite each of them had been able to put to one side for a few brief hours the pressures and the stresses of their respective jobs which habitually brought so much darkness and despair into their lives.

'Here we are then,' said Lewis as he came back into the room carrying a small silver tray on which were placed two mugs of steaming, rich-flavoured coffee and a small plate of after-dinner mint chocolate wafers, which he laid down on the coffee table in front of them.

'You're too good to me, Robbie,' Laura said with a smile and a twinkle in her eyes. 'But I think I'm going to have to pass on the chocolate. I feel so full I can't eat another thing. That meal has just done me in completely.'

'It was rather good, wasn't it?' sighed Lewis as he sat down next to Laura, not so close as to risk giving her the impression that he was preparing for the moment when he would make a move on her and suddenly jump her. No, he made quite sure there was just enough distance between the two of them as not to make her feel that he was uncomfortably invading her personal space. Had he only realised that Laura would almost certainly not have fended him off if he had decided to move in on her then he might have thought about sitting closer to her. However as he was a bloke and an essentially shy one at that when it came to the mysteries of the opposite sex he didn't read the signs at all.

'So the Chief Super was right about that place, wasn't she?' said Lewis, turning his head to look at Laura who had sat up and was blowing lightly on her piping hot mug of coffee to cool it down. 'I suppose I'd better thank her for the recommendation.'

'You don't sound very sure,' remarked Laura as a hint of a smile played upon her lips. 'What is it with you and Innocent? Don't you two get on? I think she's quite nice.'

'Oh, it's not that. We get on, I suppose. Better than we used to, at least. When I first started working for her I didn't think she trusted me enough to let me direct the traffic on my own let alone solve a murder.'

'Not now surely, though?'

'Well no, now she does seem to think I can be left in charge of an investigation - but only so long as I've got Hathaway with me to keep me out of any real trouble.'

'Ah yes, the estimable Sergeant Hathaway,' Laura said, trying to keep a straight face as she looked at a very serious and pensive Lewis. 'And where might he be tonight?'

Lewis looked up at Hobson surprised. 'How should I know? I'm not his keeper. Sergeant Hathaway and I lead very separate private lives. He could be anywhere, for all I know.'

'So, you two don't chat much over the weekend, then?' Laura couldn't resist teasing Lewis some more. She had always suspected that Lewis had quite a soft spot for Sgt. Hathaway but didn't like anyone else to see it if he could possibly help it. Laura however could see far deeper into Lewis than most and knew that the two detectives made an odd couple, but nonetheless a couple who needed each other to feed off and to pool their respective strengths and abilities to form a very powerful combination.

'We don't 'chat' as you put it at all outside of work,' said Lewis politely but firmly so as to leave no room for doubt. 'I don't expect I'll hear from him until Monday morning – and that's the way I like it. I'm not one for mixing business and pleasure.'

'So, how does tonight fit into this carefully departmentalised life of yours, then, Robbie?' Laura looked across at Lewis with an expression that seemed to demand a proper explanation to a serious question

'Ah, well that's different,' replied Lewis with a shy grin which threatened to break out into a full scale blushing embarrassment. 'You're not Jim Hathaway, for a start.'

'Good. I'm glad you've noticed that,' smirked Laura, keeping her eyes fixed on Lewis whom she saw was struggling to meet her gaze. If it meant having to shame and embarrass Robbie into letting his guard down and allowing her in to his jealously protected inner sanctum, then she was prepared to go to such painful lengths. If he wouldn't come to the door voluntarily then she was going to have to start kicking it down herself. 'In what way is it different seeing me at the weekend, Robbie?'

An awkward silence broke out between the two friends and colleagues during which time each waited for the other to take the conversation on to another level or change the subject altogether. This uneasy stalemate was eventually interrupted by the sound of a mobile going off and Lewis instantly recognised the ringtone to be his. He reached for it with a heavy sigh which didn't sound entirely convincing to Laura and hinted at a feeling of relief rather than exasperation at being interrupted. He took the call and listened intently for a few moments, his face initially showing concern which quickly turned to dark despair before he hung up. He turned to Laura whose sixth sense enabled her to guess what was coming next and confirmed her worst fears.

'I'm sorry about this but it would seem our happy evening is at an end. There's been another murder. It sounds like it's our guy with the sick sense of humour again.'

**PART 2**

Emily sat on the sofa next to a still shaken Naomi and put a comforting arm around her girlfriend's shoulders and pulled her gently in towards her. The blonde was made of pretty strong stuff but finding a dead body such as she had just done would have rattled far stronger individuals than her and she was still in a state of considerable distress and was grateful to have Emily with her to help give her support and strength.

The party had been brought to an abrupt halt no sooner had the blonde returned to the house with the news of her shocking discovery over in the woods. To no-one's surprise Sgt Hathaway took immediate and decisive command of the situation. He reported the murder to the police station and calmly persuaded Naomi to go back out with him to point him in the direction of where the body was situated. He had issued strict instructions that everyone still left at the party should stay put until the police arrived and asked Emily to look after Naomi, a request that hardly needed to be made.

Most the others just hung around the house, traipsing aimlessly from room to room, not quite knowing what to do. JJ and Lara started clearing up some of the mess just to keep themselves busy while Effy went to put the kettle on, reasoning that teas or strong black coffees might be in order all round to help people sober up a little before what she suspected might be a long night of questioning began.

'Don't try to think about it too much, Naoms,' whispered an anxious Emily in Naomi's ear. 'You've had a hell of a shock. You need to give yourself time to get over it.'

Naomi nodded and looked up at Emily with troubled eyes. 'Is Harvey okay? I must have given him such a fright when I started screaming my head off. I'm amazed he didn't just run off shitting himself.'

Emily forced a weak smile at Naomi and hastily reassured her on that score. 'He's fine, don't worry. JJ put him in his basket and he's sound asleep in the kitchen. I think he's completely worn out, what with the excitement of the party and then finding the body in the woods.'

'Where's Cook?' asked Effy, coming in to the room and handing hot drinks to the two girls. 'Does anyone know where he is? I didn't see him leave.' The girls shook their heads.

'He was still here when Naomi came back,' Emily stated with confidence. 'He was talking with JJ and Lara, I think. Why, do you want to speak to him?'

'Not right now. But….. well, I shouldn't think he'll be too happy to talk to the police and leave them his name, do you?'

'Shit! Of course he won't,' said Naomi sitting up and staring up at Effy with wide eyes. 'He'd want to get the hell out of here before the cops come and start asking him embarrassing questions like who he is and where he comes from.'

'I'll go and look for him,' said a worried Emily getting up off the sofa. 'Maybe he's upstairs with Katie.' A couple of minutes later she was back shaking her head. 'I can't find him anywhere in the house,' she said. 'I've looked in all the rooms. He's nowhere to be seen.'

'Bollocks! He's bloody scarpered, hasn't he?' Naomi sighed in exasperation. It was typical of Cook to do a runner and leave them all to face the music on his behalf.

'Fuck! What do we do if the police ask us for the names and addresses of everyone who was here tonight?' The full significance of the tricky plight that Cook's sudden disappearing act had created hit Emily right between the eyes. 'Do we give them his name or not?'

'Effy's detective friend has already seen him here, hasn't he? We can't lie and not give his name if we're asked, can we?' Naomi was shitting herself that she, Emily and the rest of the gang could potentially be in big trouble with the police. 'As soon as they find out who he is and what he's done, the cops will be on to us in no time. They could charge us with harbouring a wanted criminal or aiding and abetting or some other shit like that.'

Emily paled visibly at the thought of her and Naomi being locked up in the cells and what was worse, in separate cells for not having grassed up Cook to the police as soon as he had turned up. But before she could express her fears and anxieties in any greater detail, she heard the sound of voices at the front door and guessed correctly that this signalled the arrival of the police and the start of the intrusive investigation into their lives.

**PART 3**

When DI Lewis arrived on the scene his first task was to quiz Sgt Hathaway on the circumstances surrounding the reporting of this latest murder.

'Hathaway, what's this I hear about it being you who phoned in the discovery of the body?'

'Yes, Sir,' said Hathaway with a cursory nod. 'I was at the party here tonight when the body was found just across the road. The young woman who found the body came back to the house and told us all about it so I phoned it in to the station.'

Lewis looked at his sergeant surprised. He didn't have Hathaway down as someone who would normally frequent student parties. 'That could make it a bit awkward, couldn't it? I mean, you being a possible witness. Do we know who the victim is?'

'Yes, Sir, he had ID on him. I know him…. and so do you too.'

Lewis stared hard at Hathaway, registering his surprise for the second time in quick succession. 'Who is it?'

'It's Stephen Wells, the chief editor of the Oxford Herald, Sir. We went to see him the other day when the first victim's head turned up at their office, remember?'

Lewis did indeed remember very well and he whistled softly in astonishment. This case was starting to get very complicated and messy, he thought. 'Was he here at the party tonight, then?'

'Yes, Sir. I even had a short conversation with him at one point.'

'So he must have left the party and then got murdered before he could make his way home?'

'It looks like it. But it's not an ordinary killing, Sir. I think you need to take a look at the body.'

'It's definitely our chum with the word games, then, I take it?' Lewis asked with a sinking heart as the two detectives made their way over towards the woods.

'I don't think there's any doubt about that. And if he sticks to his pattern then someone will be getting a very nasty present quite soon.'

They made their way across the road and past the uniformed coppers who were guarding the scene of the crime and plunged into the woods, with Hathaway using the bright light of a regulation police torch to guide the way over to where the body lay. A swift review of the corpse confirmed what Hathaway had said. The dead man was the chief editor of the local paper who only hours previously had been wilting under the verbal attack of a booze-fuelled Naomi but who had obviously run into a far more dangerous and ruthless adversary later in the evening.

'Jesus Christ! So you were right about the clue, then. It was 'disembowelment'. Lewis looked down with pity at the poor bastard who was stretched out on the ground so inelegantly and forlornly that it seemed almost indecent and improper to stare at him.

'Although….. strictly speaking our killer didn't remove his bowels, did he?'

'I think we might be splitting hairs a little, don't you think? Lewis shook his head in amused wonder at Hathaway's unfailing capacity to take pedantry and literal meanings to unnecessary lengths at times.' I don't think it was going to make any difference to our victim which bit of his anatomy was removed, do you? Besides, is there a word for the removal of the heart?'

Hathaway pursed his lips for a moment or two in thought before shrugging his shoulders and admitting defeat. 'He didn't suffer that much, though. The Doc will confirm it, I'm sure but I think it was a blow to the back of the head that killed him. The heart was removed some time _after_ death.'

'Yes, I think you're right. There would have been blood everywhere if he had still been alive when that was done. So, what do you reckon? The killer just hung around and waited a while before removing his heart?'

Hathaway nodded. Until the pathologist arrived to examine the body and the immediate surrounding area all they could do was speculate. They would be in a better position to turn conjecture into hard facts in the morning.

'So, surely this means that our killer had to be someone at the party? Someone who followed him outside and killed him? I mean, who else would have known where he was at the time of his death?'

Hathaway had been mulling this rather unpleasant conclusion around in his head whilst waiting for Inspector Lewis to arrive. 'I guess that's the most likely scenario, Sir. Although it's possible our killer might have followed him here, watched the house from these woods, waited for him to leave the party and then attacked him.'

'Come on,' said Lewis letting out a heavy sigh at the prospect of a long night ahead, 'let's get back to the house and start questioning everyone.'

'Are you going to start with me, Sir?' Hathaway said with only a half serious tone to his voice.

'Did you kill him, Hathaway?' asked Lewis, coming to a sudden halt as they emerged from the woods and out onto the street again, with the suspicion of a smile curling up at the corners of his mouth.

'No, Sir,' replied his sergeant with a straight face and a low voice.

'Well, until I get any evidence to the contrary I'll just have to take your statement on trust for the moment, won't I? I need you with me on this case'

**PART 4**

When Lewis and Hathaway entered the house it was to find a very silent, tense and strained atmosphere, in complete contrast to the boisterous, even raucous party mood of half an hour earlier. Everyone was gathered in the living room, either sitting on sofas and chairs or lying on the carpet. Not much was being said, only a few odd remarks and whispers from time to time as they all waited nervously and expectantly to be interviewed. On Hathaway's instructions one of the police officers had spoken to Emily and Naomi and obtained a list of all the people who had been at the party during the evening in readiness for DI Lewis and himself to start questioning those of them that remained.

'Let's start with our hosts, shall we?' said Lewis and the two of them went off into the kitchen which they had decided to use for questioning everyone after Hathaway gave word to a uniformed constable to bring Emily and Naomi through to see them.

'Please take a seat, girls,' said Lewis at which encouragement Emily and Naomi nervously sat down at the table opposite the two detectives and looked at each other without a word. 'We just need to ask you a few questions about tonight. I'm sure you understand that. Now, Miss Campbell, I understand it was you who discovered the body over in the woods opposite. Would you mind telling me how that happened?'

Naomi took a deep breath and nervously cleared her throat which had annoyingly started to dry up as soon as she walked into the kitchen and saw the two coppers solemnly look up at her. Suitably composed she gave a concise, fairly accurate account of what had happened after she had left the house to take Harvey for his walk. She decided against mentioning the precise reason why she dived into the woods in the first place, preferring to claim that it was the excited puppy that had dragged her in and was relieved to see that neither of the detectives seemed to doubt her economy with the truth.

'Did you recognise who it was?' asked Sgt Hathaway as he made notes of Naomi's version of events to which Naomi shook her head.

'No, no, I…..I didn't. Why? Should I have done?' She stared at Hathaway confused and surprised by his question and looked across at Emily who was similarly bewildered. 'Who was it?'

'We've identified the body as that of Mr Stephen Wells, the chief editor of the Oxford Herald. He was at your party tonight.'

The two girls' mouths fell open and their eyes almost bulged out of their sockets in shock and horror. Their faces turned a sudden deathly pale as they struggled to take in or perhaps even believe what they had just been told. 'What?' they cried out, practically in unison and they looked at one another in utter amazement.

'I'm afraid so,' Lewis confirmed, carefully noting their reaction which to his trained and experienced eye seemed genuine enough. They both would have had to be damn fine actresses to have feigned that degree of shock so convincingly. 'So, I'm sure you can see why it's vitally important we try to trace Mr. Wells' movements this evening. Can either of you remember him leaving the party?'

Naomi immediately shook her head a fraction before Emily spoke, her voice shaking a little with the gravity of the situation. 'Yes, I do. I was in the hall when he left.'

'Go on,' said Lewis encouragingly.

'Well, I was just about to go upstairs to check up on my sister Katie – she'd drunk a bit too much and had crashed out in the spare room – when Mr Wells said goodbye and left.'

'What time would this have been?'

'Oh God, I'm not sure. Not that late actually. I suppose around about half past nine. He only stayed a couple of hours.'

'Didn't you have a bit of an argument with him during the party, Miss Campbell?' asked Hathaway out of the blue. His very direct question caught Naomi by surprise and she gave a start and felt herself turning slightly red for no good reason at all other than she didn't like being hounded and harangued by anyone in authority, least of all the police.

'Um….yes, sort of, I guess so.'

'It was nothing!' cried Emily, springing quickly to Naomi's defence 'Naomi was just trying to put in a good word for me at work, that's all. Besides, she went back and apologised long before he left, didn't you, Naoms?' Naomi nodded silently at Sgt Hathaway and Emily glared at the two detectives, daring them to make something of what she saw as nothing but a totally inconsequential incident.

'What sort of a boss was he, Miss Fitch? Did you get on with him?'

Emily paused for the merest fraction of a second before replying. 'He was okay. I certainly didn't have a reason to murder him if that's what you're getting at,' she declared, defiance emanating from every pore.

'What do you do at the paper?' Hathaway asked.

'Oh, I'm still the office junior. Make the tea, fetch the lunchtime sandwiches, act as a courier service, you know how it is. I get all the rubbish jobs nobody else wants.'

'Did anyone else see Mr Wells leave other than you, Miss Fitch?' asked Lewis who couldn't help admiring Emily's spirit in standing up for herself and her friend even if she seemed to have just a touch too much attitude for his liking. Emily stopped glaring long enough to answer the question.

'Yes. Eleanor was there also. She had just come down from helping Katie upstairs and she opened the front door for Mr Wells and let him out'

'Then what?'

'Then she went back to the party and I carried on upstairs to see how Katie was.'

'And how was she?'

'Out like a light, completely dead to the world. I just sat with her for a while in case she woke up and felt….well, like shit, you know.'

'Did you hear anything outside while you were with your sister?'

Emily paused a while to reflect on the question before replying. 'No, nothing at all as far as I can remember.'

'And where were you during this time, Miss Campbell?' Lewis switched his attention without warning to Naomi who had been silent while Emily was being questioned.

'God! I've no idea. Probably with our friends, drinking, dancing, talking. I really don't remember.'

'You were in the living room chatting with JJ and Lara,' said Emily confidently, looking at DI Lewis. 'At least you were when I left you. Don't you remember? I said I was going to find Katie and try and get her to stop knocking back the booze any more before she passed out.'

'Oh yeah, you're right, babes. Shame you were too late for Katie's sake.'

'Did either of you leave the house at any time between Mr Wells leaving the party and Naomi finding his body?' Both girls shook their heads.

'Did you see anyone else leave the house?'

'It was a party, for Christ's sake. It was dark inside, the music was loud. Loads of people were popping in and out of the house all the time to get some fresh air or have a cigarette, stuff like that. Anyone could have gone out for a while and probably no-one would have noticed.'

DI Lewis looked over at Hathaway who almost imperceptibly nodded in agreement with Naomi's brutally frank description of the backdrop to the murder. The two girls inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when Inspector Lewis stood up and thanked them for their time and asked them to send in JJ and Lara. When the two girls had left the room Lewis looked at Hathaway to get his opinion as to the credibility of their stories.

'It all seems consistent with what I can remember,' said Hathaway. 'Except…'

'What?' Lewis raised an interested eyebrow. Hathaway had a knack of picking up on things, a gesture, a look maybe, something seemingly small and insignificant but which frequently turned out to be extremely perceptive and helpful in their investigation. Could this be yet another such occasion?

'Well, it's just a hunch but I got the feeling that Naomi- Miss Campbell, that is- was holding back on something. It may not be important….'

'But it might be, even if she doesn't know it,' said Lewis, finishing Hathaway's sentence. 'We'll speak to her again another time and see if we can find out what it might be.'

**PART 5**

After the two girls left the kitchen Naomi was instinctively heading back to the living room to join the others when she felt Emily suddenly grab her hand behind her and pull her towards the stairs.

'Where are we going?' the blonde cried out in surprise and was even more taken aback by Emily whispering 'Shhhh!' and leading her quietly and hurriedly up the stairs. Once at the top Emily led Naomi into the spare room which was now empty, Katie having been woken up by Emily with great difficulty and dragged reluctantly down to join the others half an hour ago. Emily closed the door behind them and turned to face a baffled looking Naomi who was clearly at a loss to explain what game Emily was playing. 'Em, what the fuck are we doing in here? This is **not** the right time for a shag. I don't care how horny you are.'

'I haven't come up here for sex, stupid! I need to make a really important call.'

'At this time of night? Who the fuck are you calling?' Naomi was beginning to wonder whether the tensions and stresses of the evening had finally got to her girlfriend and she was in danger of losing it completely.

'The paper. I need to speak to the deputy editor right now.'

'What? Why?'

Emily ignored Naomi's perfectly reasonable question and dialled the number on her mobile, biting her lip and tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for her call to be picked up.

'Hi, it's Emily. Look, I'm sorry about calling at this time of night but I _really _need to speak to Brian urgently. Can you put me through?'

The person on the other end of the line obviously questioned the wisdom of such a request because Emily cut through the reasonable objections with a swathe. 'Look, let me spell it out to you in simple language. I'm sitting right now on the biggest story this paper is likely to have in years. You aren't going to believe what has happened tonight. And I'm right on the spot to give the best scoop with all the grisly details that no-one else is in a position to do. So just stop farting about and put me through to him, will you, there's a love?'

Naomi stared at Emily and puffed out her cheeks in amazement. This was a very different Emily from the one she was used to. This version of Emily standing in front of her wasn't lying down and meekly putting up with seven types of shit any more. This Emily was really kicking ass, the gloves were well and truly off tonight, that was for sure. And she had to admit that she was enjoying watching her go for it big style for once, even if she had one or two slight qualms about whether any thoughts of respect for the dead, common decency and courtesy and a suitable period of mourning had been rather too quickly brushed aside in the pursuit of personal achievement and glory.

Eventually Emily managed to get the deputy editor put on the line and she calmly broke to him the tragic news of his boss's brutal murder which Naomi could only guess from what muffled sounds came over from the other end of the line must have left him temporarily stunned and almost speechless. Emily then proceeded to talk a very good game from that moment onwards, Naomi had to admit. It couldn't have been easy for her to persuade the deputy editor to hand her this most important of all assignments but clearly she had succeeded in putting across an unanswerable case because the redhead started dancing about manically on the spot, her eyes sparkling with excitement and burning brightly in the half light of the room. When she finished the call she beamed across at Naomi and gave a little celebratory fist-clench of delight. 'Yeeeesss! He's given me the go-ahead to write the story!'

'Jesus, Em. Are you sure about this?' asked Naomi somewhat dubiously. 'I mean, it's all a bit weird and fucked up, isn't it? You writing the report of your own boss's murder.'

'I know, Naoms. Look, okay, maybe it's not the story I would have chosen to give me my first real chance of a breakthrough at the paper. But beggars can't be choosers, can they? I've got my first big chance to make a name for myself and I've got to go for it, haven't I?'

Naomi looked deep into the big wide eyes of the trembling, excited young newspaper hound and nodded. She pulled her over to her and wrapped her arms around her, feeling her shake with nervous energy and anticipation. 'Of course you have to, babe. Go on then, you'd better make a start. Get those fingers burning up that keyboard. I suppose I'd better go down and make up some excuse for you being up here for the rest of the night.' Naomi bent down and kissed Emily softly on the lips and quietly left the room, leaving Emily already sat at the desk turning on her computer and seemingly deep in thought about the make-up of her attention-grabbing headline.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

Sorry I've gone on so long yet again - hope it's not putting too many of you off reading it! I would love to hear from some of you on how you think the story might develop. A big thanks to those of you who have reviewed it so far, please keep the comments coming, I really do appreciate them!

.

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	10. Chapter 10

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Lewis and Hobson's pleasant evening together is shattered when Lewis gets a call to the murder scene. The gang discover Cook has done a disappearing act after Hathaway called in the police. The victim is identified as the chief editor of the Oxford Herald who was at the party earlier on. The body has been mutilated in the very manner Hathaway deduced from the riddle sent to the police by the killer. Emily sees an opportunity to make a name for herself by getting the paper to agree that she should write the story of the murder of its own chief editor. She persuades Naomi to help her in her secret mission and cover for her absence.

**CHAPTER TEN: **

**PART 1**

'We've got a problem, Sir,' said Hathaway to Lewis after briefly speaking with one of the police constables who had approached him after they had concluded their latest interview.

'What problem?' asked Lewis, failing to stifle a yawn as he politely turned his head to one side and put his hand to his mouth.

'One of the party guests appears to have done a runner, Sir.' Hathaway knew the inspector would not be impressed with the news that they had somehow managed to allow a suspect to slip through their fingers so easily and so he waited nervously for the volcano to erupt. Fortunately for him DI Lewis was too worn out to put up much of a show of temper and frustration despite understandably not being best pleased with the information given to him. The inspector contented himself with a weary sigh followed by an abrupt 'Who?' and directed a hard stare at Hathaway.

'It's a friend of Miss Campbell and Miss Fitch, Sir. Name of James Cook. He arrived late on, well after the party had started.'

'How do we know he hadn't already left long before we all got here?'

Hathaway shook his head. 'He was still here when I called the police, Sir. I remember seeing him then. We had spoken briefly during the evening. He was a….very close friend of Miss Effy Stonem, it would seem.'

'That's the girl who invited you to the party, isn't it?' asked Lewis who had been filled in on his sergeant's recent acquaintance with the captivating Miss Stonem. The inspector still felt a touch awkward and uncertain about how to deal with Hathaway's involvement, however new and apparently superficial, with one of the murder suspects. Should he take him off the case because of a potential conflict of interest due to his 'friendship' with a suspect or did his presence throughout the evening's events make his participation in the enquiry absolutely essential as a first rate, Johnny-on-the-spot witness? He decided he would sleep on the dilemma which, given the way he was beginning to yawn his head off, was in danger of descending upon him at any minute.

'Do we know any reason why he might have taken an instant dislike to us?'

'No, Sir,' replied Hathaway as his mind was cast back to the conversation he witnessed that evening between Cook and Effy which he had thought was full of hidden meanings and unspoken sub-text.

'Well, you know the drill. Get uniform to search the house from top to bottom and get a team on to combing the whole of the immediate neighbourhood. Get a description of him and circulate it. If he hasn't turned up by the morning we'll have to question all his friends again.'

Hathaway nodded and left to carry out his master's bidding, leaving DI Lewis to contemplate his next move which if he had had his way would have been straight to bed but sadly there were a couple of things still left to do before he could call it a day.

The inspector returned to the living room where everyone who hadn't yet been interviewed and allowed to go home or who had been seen but were planning on staying on for the night were patiently waiting.

'Miss Effy Stonem?' said Lewis, looking over at the tall, slim brunette who was sitting chatting with Naomi in hushed tones. Effy rose to her feet and followed the inspector out of the room, after giving Naomi a quick glance and an almost imperceptible nod. She took a seat in the kitchen at Lewis' request and waited calmly and silently for the grilling to begin.

'It would seem one of the guests here tonight, a friend of yours, a Mr James Cook, has vanished. Without our permission, I should add. Have you any idea where he might be?'

Effy looked at a solemn and serious looking DI Lewis and shook her head apologetically. 'I'm sorry, I've no idea where he's got to, Inspector' she answered truthfully.

'Does he usually do a disappearing act whenever the police are called in? Has he been in any trouble with the police before?' Effy's heart rate was racing and she felt her mouth turn dry as she considered how to reply to the inspector's carefully worded and loaded questions. She suspected that DI Lewis had a very good line in lulling people into a false sense of security with his easy-going, polite, almost casual manner but which concealed a very instinctive understanding of human nature and a surprising ruthlessness in pouncing on any sign of weakness or uncertainty from his interviewees. He was not to be underestimated or taken lightly, she thought. That would be very foolish indeed.

'Not that I'm aware of, Inspector,' she replied disarmingly. 'None of us have ever had much experience of the police, you know. But I'm not exactly surprised Cook has disappeared. I can't believe for a moment it's got anything to do with what happened here tonight He's always been like that '

'Like what?'

'Well, he's always been the kind of guy who would turn up out of the blue without a word of warning and then disappear again just as quickly as he arrived. He never stays around anywhere for very long, he's always on the move. You never know when he might pop up next.'

'Is that what happened tonight, then?'

Effy nodded her head and gave a wry smile which Lewis thought contained just a hint of resignation and sadness about it before she continued. 'That's right. It was typical Cook. Turned up on the doorstep totally unexpectedly, hung around for a while, gave a few vague, unhelpful answers when we asked him what he'd been doing since we last saw him and then buggered off without saying goodbye to anyone. That's Cook all over, I'm afraid, Inspector. He's probably miles away by now and we won't see him again for another year or so.'

'Well, _we_ want to speak to him about tonight, Miss Stonem and I'm certainly not prepared to wait for him to decide to turn up again whenever it suits him. This is a murder enquiry and I don't like any of my witnesses – or suspects - doing a runner behind my back. It makes me very uneasy and suspicious of them. So if you hear from Mr Cook or see him again I'll be obliged if you let me or my sergeant know straight away Understood?'

'Perfectly, Inspector. But I'm positive Cook's vanishing act has got nothing to do with your murder. He didn't know the guy who was killed or even speak to him, I think.'

'Well, I won't know that until I get to speak to him, will I?'

Effy nodded and looked down at the floor, silently praying that DI Lewis would change the subject which to her huge relief he did.

'Did you see anything tonight that might help us with our enquiry, Miss Stonem?'

'Such as what, Inspector?'

'I don't know, anything. Do you remember anyone leaving the house around the time Mr Wells left the party? Did anyone have an argument with Mr Wells while he was at the party? Can you tell us anything that might help us in our investigation?'

Effy did him the courtesy of considering the matter for a few moments before shaking her head. 'I'm sorry but I don't remember anything that might be of use to you. I spent most of the evening just drinking and dancing and having fun with my friends.'

'_And _with Detective Sgt Hathaway, I understand?'

'Well…. I don't recall doing much dancing with Sgt Hathaway, now you come to mention it. I don't think your sergeant is exactly the dancing type, Inspector.' Effy kept an admirably straight face as she looked across at DI Lewis but he could see a mischievous twinkle in her eyes which instantly brought a broad smile to Lewis' face, despite the gravity of the situation.

'No, I don't imagine he is, Miss Stonem – at least not the type of dancing you bright young things are into anyway.'

'Inspector, are you going to tell me that I can't speak to James or see him again while I'm in Oxford – because of this case, I mean?'

Lewis wasn't expecting to be asked such a direct question and Effy's boldness momentarily caught him off guard. He hesitated fractionally before giving the young woman an honest answer. 'No, not at this stage. But you will appreciate Sgt Hathaway can't talk about the case with you, not in any shape or form. Otherwise I would either have to take him off the case or forbid him to see you in anything other than a purely professional capacity.'

'I understand, Inspector,' said Effy quietly, skilfully concealing her relief.

'But ultimately it's up to my boss, the Chief Superintendent, to decide if your….friendship with Sgt Hathaway might get in the way of our investigation. It'll be out of my hands.'

Having given Effy the green light to continue to explore her acquaintance with James only to cast a pale shadow over it with his parting reference to the vagaries of his own superior, DI Lewis got up, thanked Effy for her time and showed her out of the kitchen and almost immediately into the welcoming arms of Sgt Hathaway who had reappeared in the hallway.

'Ah, there you are, Sergeant,' said Lewis who couldn't help noticing the nervous exchange of glances between the two as Effy passed by Hathaway on route to the living room. He saw Effy give a slight smile at his sergeant who obviously felt restricted by his boss's close proximity and contented himself with a polite but nonetheless friendly nod of the head at the brunette. His eyes though spoke of a gentle warmth which could not be completely covered up by the apparent stiffness of his acknowledgement. 'I think we'd better have a quick word with Dr Hobson before we wrap up here,'

'Yes, Sir,' replied Hathaway and he followed his boss out through the front door and into the cold night air, leaving Effy to bring the gang up to speed with the police's enquiries into Cook's disappearance

**PART 2**

'So, where do you think Cook is now?' an anxious JJ asked Effy who had collapsed on the sofa next to Naomi.

'Fuck knows,' replied Effy with a dismissive shrug of her shoulders. 'I just hope the police don't find him. I'm worried they've got it into their heads his vanishing act might have something to do with what happened tonight.'

'Oh, come on, Ef! Surely Cook didn't do in the newspaper guy?' cried Katie who had sobered up considerably in the last hour, fortified by the countless cups of strong black coffee that the others had almost forced down her throat. 'Why would he? He didn't even know him, for Christ's sake.'

'Cook may be a brainless head case at the best of times but even he wouldn't kill someone he didn't even know,' added Lara who had seen enough of JJ'S best mate over the last few years to offer an objective opinion on the missing delinquent.

'He's still on the run after all, Ef,' Naomi pointed out to reassure Effy whom she could see was worried about Cook, despite her vain attempts to affect an apparent indifference. 'He was bound to do a runner once he'd heard the cops were on their way over.'

'If he'd hung around to be questioned the police would have checked up on him and found out in no time he's a wanted criminal. He'd have been banged straight away. He had to scarper, didn't he?' Silence descended on the group as everyone struggled to find an answer to Katie's surprisingly rational logic.

'He's bound to have legged it as far away from here as possible. We probably won't see or hear from him again for another five years,' said Naomi with a derisive snort.

JJ and Lara looked at each other in silence for a while until JJ seemed on the point of saying something only to change his mind at the last second on seeing Lara stare at him with flashing eyes and give the tiniest shake of her head.

'Where's Emily?' enquired the young lad, sensing that a change of subject might lighten the mood which seemed to have become strangely tense and heavy with the mention of Cook's name.

'She's upstairs having a nap,' said Naomi hurriedly. 'I think the whole day has finally caught up with her and done her in. She'll feel much better later on for having had some sleep now.'

'I'll take a glass of water up for her, shall I?' Katie stood up with an effort and made a movement towards the living room door. 'If she wakes up feeling thirsty then at least there'll be a drink by the bed waiting for her.'

'No! Just leave her, Katie. I don't want her to be disturbed; she's well out of it.'

'Okay, okay! Keep your fucking bleached hair on, Naomi!' Katie took predictable offence at Naomi's sharp reaction and felt the hairs standing up on the back of her neck and anger begin to rise from the pit of her still slightly dodgy stomach as the often prickly nature of their relationship raised its ugly head again.

'Oh, come on, you two! Don't start an argument, please!' JJ hated it when the two girls threatened to be at each other's throats like in the early days when they first all met. He always sought to diffuse any potential confrontation before it could develop into a full blown slanging match or catfight. Lara by contrast was all for just sitting back and enjoying the spectacle as a neutral but JJ couldn't stand to watch a fight or a blazing row at close quarters – it made him feel nervous and queasy and often brought on one of his freaked out attacks, although to be fair they were a rare occurrence nowadays. The arrival of Lara into his life had bizarrely seemed to coincide with their almost complete disappearance.

'I'm not arguing with her, JJ,' said Naomi firmly, her mouth set hard on her face as she stared Katie down. 'I'm just asking her nicely…..'

'Nicely?' Katie spat out the word with real venom and overbalanced in the process, falling back onto the sofa, prompting a few knowing looks between all the others. 'Jesus! If that's your version of nice I'd hate to see how you do nasty. She is _my_ sister, after all. I know she's _your_ girlfriend but blood is thicker than…whatever.' Katie tailed off disappointingly, unsure how the proverb finished, her head starting to spin again from having made such an animated movement which had been unwise in her still fragile and shaky physical condition.

'Water,' Lara suggested, trying to help but serving only to provoke a round of giggles as fatigue spread throughout the ranks and spilled out onto the battlefield.

'In what way do you see me as water, Katie?' asked Naomi forcing a smile despite her frustration with having to put up with another one of Katie's tedious attempts to pull rank with her by playing the sister card.

'I was just trying to look out for poor Ems, that's all. I wasn't trying to take your place or steal your thunder. You shouldn't be so paranoid about allowing other people to get near her, you know. Why do you always want to wrap her up in cotton wool and keep everyone else away from her? You don't own Emily, however much you might want to.'

Naomi's smile vanished in an instant as she stood up, her face contorted in a seething rage that promised to explode into a full scale verbal assault on Katie who in her eyes had now gone too far, had way overstepped the boundaries of acceptable comment and had touched a raw nerve that constantly nagged and itched away at the blonde.

'You fucking cow, Katie! You're the one who can't stand the fact that she loves someone else other than you. You've never been able to deal with that, have you? You've always been insanely jealous of what we have together and you've never given up hope of coming in between us and splitting us up!'

Katie let out a terrifying scream of anger, hauled herself off the sofa with a superhuman effort and lurched unsteadily over towards a furious Naomi, seemingly hell bent on knocking seven shades of shit out of the blonde who was showing no intention of flinching or retreating from her position but was instead fearlessly standing her ground and preparing to get her retaliation in first. Doubtless fists and fur would have been flying had Effy and JJ not been so quick to react and jump in the middle to separate the two Amazon warriors.

'Enough, the pair of you!' said JJ who, despite having turned pale with anxiety had grabbed hold of Naomi while Effy equally promptly leapt up to restrain Katie. Both girls struggled initially to wriggle free from their captors whilst trading further insults and abuse at each other, eyes blazing and lips curled back menacingly in genuine snarls of contempt and mutual loathing.

Shut up, the pair of you,' pleaded Effy, wishing she could knock their two heads together and put an end to the commotion that way but deciding instead to appeal to the remnants of their common sense and basic decency. 'You'll wake Emily up if you carry on shouting and screaming at each other like that. Is that what you want after the day she's had? Now pack it in, will you?' The piece had to be said of course but she caught herself wishing she hadn't sounded quite so much like her own mother telling off her and Tony for squabbling when they were kids.

Naomi and Katie still glared at each other from a safe distance but Effy's wise words must have registered with them for both girls sat down and kept silent as everyone else heaved a collective sigh of relief that a full scale skirmish had been nipped in the bud.

'There's one thing I still don't understand,' said Effy, eventually breaking the uneasy silence that had descended upon the room as wounds were licked and frayed tempers given time to cool down. 'How did Cook know where to find us? How did he find out about the party?'

Four pairs of eyes swung round to stare at Effy as the implication of Effy's question slowly sunk in to their tired, inebriated, frazzled minds.

'I mean, someone must have told him. It wasn't exactly announced in the society pages of The Times, was it?'

She seemed to have a point and encouraged by the wall of silence that met her theory the brunette went on to elaborate, narrowing the net of possibility further still. 'In fact, he must have found out from one of us. Who else here could have told him? Nobody else here tonight knew him.'

'He can't have,' said Naomi. 'None of us have even heard from him, let alone seen him since the day of the party in Freddie's shed. Have we?' she asked looking around at the faces of the whole gang, searching for confirmation that she was right. Murmurs and whispers of approval greeted her question and heads were nodded frantically to indicate that they agreed wholeheartedly with her presumption of innocence on their behalf.

'Maybe….well, maybe he found out from someone else who knew about the party,' suggested Lara.

'Like who?' Effy eyed Lara up intently but could see no evidence of duplicity or deliberate distraction in her expression. She seemed to be speaking honestly enough.

'Well, my parents knew we were coming here for the weekend,' said JJ. 'Isn't it _possible_ that Cook turned up in Bristol to see us and Mum told him where we'd gone for the weekend – and why?'

'I guess so,' said Naomi slowly, sounding far from convinced with this suggestion and an uncomfortable silence fell upon the gang once again as minds gave in to tiredness, heads lolled back against cushions and eyes were closed to allow much needed sleep to penetrate their aching bodies. But for one person in the room sleep did not come that quickly. The eyes might have been shut but the brain was still working feverishly, the heart was beating faster than normal and deep anxiety was beginning to set in and make this person feel extremely uncomfortable and nervous.

**PART 3**

'What have you got for us, Doc?' Lewis asked Dr Hobson when he and Hathaway arrived back at the crime scene to find Laura still hard at work with her forensic team.

'Please tell me you've got some good news for me to go to sleep on, will you? I need cheering up.'

If Laura Hobson felt a little hurt and put out that DI Lewis seemed to have all but forgotten the wonderful evening they had spent together only a couple of hours previously then she did a good job of hiding it. 'No DNA on the body or immediately next to it BUT…..' she stopped, seeing Lewis's face fall on hearing her initial far from encouraging words and mischievously, even a touch sadistically wanting to prolong the wait for some good news a fraction longer.

'But what?' he asked, praying she really had found something they could get their teeth into.

'Well, my wild, carefree, irresponsible student days are a long way behind me now but I would hazard a guess that what we've found just a few yards away from the body,' she said, holding up triumphantly a plastic forensics bag, the contents of which were clearly visible to Lewis and Hathaway, 'is what we commonly referred to as a joint.'

'Aha!' said Lewis, sounding interested and encouraged for possibly the first time since he had been so rudely dragged away from his warm comfortable house and his warm, comfortable house guest. 'I take it you're hopeful of getting some DNA from that.'

'We should do,' confirmed Hobson, smiling at the inspector whose tired, dull eyes had noticeably brightened at the prospect of a first genuine clue as to the killer's identity.

'So you reckon our murderer waited here for a few minutes after killing our victim, smoked a joint before chucking it away and then getting on with the business of cutting out his heart? Seems a tad unlikely though, don't you think?'

'That's not for me to say, Inspector. _My_ job is to examine the body and look for any potential physical evidence belonging to the killer. _You_r job is to interpret my findings. At least that's how I assume you want us to play it tonight? Or do you fancy a bit of role reversal for a change?'

The playful glint in her eyes was recognisable to Hathaway even in the bright artificial, forensic-friendly light that the three of them were standing in and provoked a slight titter on his part which instantly vanished when Lewis turned round to stare at him.

'Uh, no thanks, doctor. I'll stick to what I'm best at, I think. Couldn't this joint have been thrown away a day or two ago? It might have nothing to do with the murder.'

Hobson shook her head with positive conviction. 'I don't think so, Inspector. It's definitely fresh. It was thrown away tonight for sure, almost certainly within the last few hours, I would say.'

'Okay. We'll get DNA samples from everyone who was at the party tonight and see if we turn up a match.'

'Including Sgt Hathaway, Inspector?' said Doctor Hobson, valiantly suppressing a giggle.

'Oh, especially Sgt Hathaway, Doctor,' said Lewis with a heavy sarcasm in his voice as he grinned at his straight-faced sergeant. 'I want a quick result on this case. He's going to be the first one I'll be testing, I can promise you that. If we get a match then maybe I can make an arrest and be in bed before the hour is up.'

.


	11. Chapter 11

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Lewis and Hathaway interview Effy about Cook who has disappeared from the house and Lewis orders a search party to go out to look for him. Lewis reluctantly gives Effy permission to continue to see Hathaway providing they avoid talking about the murder inquiry. Naomi and Katie almost come to blows over Emily. The gang speculate on how Cook found out about the party and someone knows more than they are telling. Dr Hobson shows the two detectives Naomi's spliff which she accidentally left behind near the body after which Lewis resolves to carry out DNA tests on everyone at the party.

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: **

**PART 1**

'Katie! I've made you some coffee. I've put it on the bedside table, okay?' Emily looked down at the lifeless, shapeless mass that was half buried underneath the duvet and wondered if her sister was still so pissed as a newt that she was incapable of taking anything in. After hesitating for a second, she tentatively reached out a hand and shook Katie not too roughly by the shoulder and waited expectantly for total silence or, failing that, the torrent of abuse that she felt sure was bound to follow. In the end she got neither. Much to her surprise there were definite signs of stirring from under the duvet and a few seconds later Katie's head popped up over the parapet and turned slowly round to face her tormentor.

'What?' said a voice still thick with sleep and croaking with dehydration.

'I said I've made you coffee. It's up here. Drink it. It'll do you good.'

'Cheers,' said Katie quickly but she showed no immediate interest in taking Emily up on her offer but instead dived back under the duvet again like an ostrich burying its head in the sand. If she couldn't see the big, bad world outside her bed then she could pretend that it didn't really exist. If she stayed under the covers long enough then eventually the world and everyone else in it would get bored waiting for her to come out and face the music and would simply go away and leave her alone to die a slow death in peace.

'How shit do you feel?' asked Emily, undeterred by Katie's obvious reluctance to indulge in cheery conversation and she sat down on the edge of the bed next to her sister. 'I mean, like, on a scale of one to ten?' There followed an eerie silence during which Emily anxiously bit her lip and wondered if Katie would appreciate a sisterly hug to make her feel better.

'Twenty,' replied Katie, hoping that this concise, brutally honest answer would persuade her beloved, well-intentioned sister to just fuck off and leave her alone which remarkably, and mercifully for, her it did. Emily got up off the bed, whispered something about coming back and seeing how she was later on and left the room.

Once she was sure that Emily wasn't going to have a change of heart and return to fuss over her some more, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief and, albeit with much comical manoeuvring during which she displayed all the mobility of a Sherman tank, she managed eventually to sit up in bed. She started shivering violently despite the fact that streams of warm sunlight were filtering into the room through the cracks in the curtains. She leaned over and shakily picked up the mug of coffee and took a sip, screwing her nose up instantly as the bitter, foul-tasting liquid hit the back of her throat and threatened to rip out the inside of her mouth.

'For fuck's sake, Em!' she spluttered as she spat out as much of the revolting liquid as she could. Her sister's coffee usually tasted rank but this was worse than low grade petrol. What in God's name had she put in it this time? Maybe Naomi had peed in it just to get her own back for last night, she speculated moodily. She hauled her still quivering body across to the other side of the bed and hung down over the edge to rummage around in her overnight bag which she had thankfully left there the night before. She pulled out a half full bottle of whisky with a triumphant gasp of relief and sat back up again, untwisting the cap before proceeding to take a generous swig of the life-saving contents.

The strong, warm, caramel coloured single malt seemed to have an invigorating effect on Katie as within a few moments she had stopped shivering and sank back into the bed with a contented smile on her face and a healthier pink colour noticeably returning to her hitherto pale and lifeless complexion. After a second swig she felt sufficiently resuscitated to let out a series of bizarre giggles. She hugged the bottle to her chest and closed her eyes to savour the calming and life-affirming effects of the intoxicating aromas which she felt were breathing across every pore of her body.

She was about to return the bottle to its original resting place when she suddenly paused in mid-plunge over the side of the bed as a thought occurred to her. She swung back up again, opened the bottle once more and grabbed the mug of steaming coffee into which she poured as much of the brown liquid as she could without overflowing the contents over the rim of the mug. She brought the mug to her lips for a second time that morning and drank. This time however, instead of screwing up her face in revulsion a huge beam spread across her face which made her eyes sparkle and shine like the lights on a Christmas tree. _'_Now_ that's_ how you make a fucking great cup of coffee, Ems,' she whispered out loud as she slurped noisily and greedily at the fortified breakfast pick-me-up. She nodded in approval at her flash of inspiration and moved her thoughts on to consider the idea of actually getting up, now that she had enough strength and energy inside her to face the rigours of what she assumed was bound to be yet another excruciatingly painful day.

**PART 2**

'Jesus Christ! Just look at the _state_ of this place!' Naomi stood in the middle of the living room and looked all around her, surveying with a despairing, critical eye the harsh realities and consequences of their hard partying from the night before. It had been the same everywhere else downstairs. Their little house, generally so neat and tidy, so cosy and warm, had been turned within the space of little more than twelve hours into a bomb site, a minefield of devastation and carnage. She wouldn't have been that surprised if another dead body was found hidden underneath the piles of cans, plates, glasses, bottles, food and fallen decorations which liberally littered every corner of every room. She wouldn't have believed it possible that twenty or thirty people - and adults, mind you, this had been no kids or chimpanzees tea party, she reminded herself – could cause such unmitigated havoc in just a few hours of simple celebrations.

Emily came up behind the blonde and wrapped her arms comfortingly around her slim waist. 'It's not as bad as it looks, Naoms, honestly. If we get started on it now, we should have the whole place back to normal before lunch. Then we can treat ourselves to a nice walk along the river in the afternoon. We can show Harvey a few of our favourite places, can't we? And stop off for an ice cream at our favourite tea shop.'

Naomi instantly cheered up at the mention of their new pet's name before panicking slightly. 'Where is he?' she asked. 'I haven't seen or heard him since we came downstairs.'

'Don't worry, he's fine. He's in his basket, fast asleep. I think all the excitement of yesterday wore the poor little chap out.' Emily smiled at Naomi and continued. 'Mind you, I'm not sure who's more dead to the world – Harvey or Katie.'

'Oh, so you've seen Her Royal Highness already, have you?' Naomi turned round to face a giggling Emily and pulled her gently towards her for a hug. 'How is she? Suitably hung over? Looking like a dog's dinner? Embarrassed and ashamed of her antics last night, perhaps?'

'What do you think?' replied Emily with a grin as she kissed Naomi softly yet passionately on the lips.

'I'm not sure your darling sister is capable of feeling those sorts of emotions. She certainly wasn't bothered about what people might have thought of her last night.'

'It _was_ funny when she tried to chat up Sgt Hathaway, though. Even Effy was pissing herself laughing behind her back.'

The two girls looked at each other and almost on cue burst out into fits of giggles at the memory of an extremely pissed Katie's toe-curlingly awful, simpering attempts to impress and suck up to the detective sergeant. It was undoubtedly one of the highlights of an extraordinary evening from which they felt they were still trying to recover, mentally as much as physically.

'What are you two laughing about?' said a pinafore-clad JJ coming into the room and turning ever so faintly red on catching the two girls clinging on to each other so intimately.

'We were just remembering Katie coming on to Sgt. Hathaway last night,' said Emily, breaking free from Naomi's embrace and going over to give him a good morning hug.

'Oh, right,' said JJ with a knowing smile 'Well, she was bloody hilarious. How is she now?'

'I wouldn't bother making any breakfast for her, let's put it like that,' sighed Emily. 'My guess is we won't see her until the afternoon.'

'Fine by me,' Naomi smirked and got a playful slap on the arm from Emily for her troubles. 'I mean, it's not as if she'd much bloody use helping us to clear the place up, even though she was responsible for half the mess herself. I just couldn't get rid of that huge vomit stain of hers on the carpet last night. That was a real touch of class!'

'I'll have a go at it in a few minutes,' said Emily with a groan.

'No you won't.' insisted Naomi firmly. '_We're_ cleaning up the house, not you. You organised the evening, you've already done your bit. The least we can do is clear up, right JJ?' JJ nodded his approval as Emily murmured a few token protests which Naomi ignored. 'Besides, you've been up half the night, haven't you?' she reminded Emily with a sly wink which was too subtle for JJ to notice. 'You must have only had a couple of hours sleep at most. Why don't you go back to bed and leave us to take care of things down here?'

'Look, Lara and I are just about to make breakfast. Have that first and then go back to bed, Emily.' JJ disappeared back into the kitchen leaving the two girls alone again.

'Did you finish the article?' asked Naomi in hushed tones, afraid lest JJ and Lara should overhear anything. 'You were out like a light when I came up last night.' Emily nodded and the pair of them sat down and cuddled up to each other on the sofa. 'Yeah, I've done the first draft and emailed it over to the office. I'm just waiting for them to tell me if they think it's good enough to run with in tomorrow's edition.'

'Of course they'll run with it, babes. I know it's totally brilliant. They'd be mad not to put it out.'

Naomi's blind faith and unfailing support of Emily's writing skills was so genuine and heartfelt that Emily was almost moved to tears and she buried her head into her girlfriend's chest and smiled happily. She fervently wished she shared Naomi's supreme confidence in her. She was shitting herself that the deputy editor, or rather the new chief editor after the tragic events of the previous evening, would throw the article back at her and tell her it was rubbish, thus dashing all her hopes and dreams of finally getting a foothold on the notoriously slippery journalistic ladder.

**PART 3**

DI Lewis sat back in his chair and took another sip of tea as he quietly contemplated the forensic photographs which he had laid out on the table in front of him. He was searching for inspiration, groping for a way in to this bizarre jigsaw puzzle the pieces of which just didn't seem to fit to his way of thinking. Even though it was a Sunday Lewis was still working. Any normal person in his right mind would be taking their mind off work completely by indulging in their favourite hobbies, spending precious time with their family or going out on a day trip for a change of scenery. Sadly none of that was for Robbie Lewis.

His main interests outside of work were football and cricket, particularly his beloved Newcastle United and the England cricket team. However the football season had just finished and England weren't playing a Test match that weekend so there was to be no lazing contentedly on the sofa avidly following the progress of the two sporting loves of his life this particular Sunday. As for embarking on a day trip, well that was something he preferred to do in the company of others – he wasn't much of a solitary explorer of new locations and landscapes. The only person with whom he would have been happy to go off on a magical mystery tour that day was also busily sacrificing her Sunday to be hard at work like him.

But the main reason why he didn't resent giving up a large chunk of his weekend was that he had no family living with him any more. His two children whom of course he adored were both grown up and living their own lives far, far away, his daughter up in Manchester with husband and toddler, his son on the other side of the world in Australia where, at least as far as Lewis knew, he had now thankfully 'found himself' but in the process had also found Australia much more to his liking than England and had chosen to settle there. As for his late wife Val, well she would never be coming back home, an unpalatable fact that it had taken him several years of counselling, countless painfully lonely nights of deep, dark introspection plus a few sharp home truths in recent times from his daughter to finally accept and deal with.

He had been staring at the graphic photos of the two murder victims for a good fifteen minutes now trying to make sense of it all. The killings themselves had not been especially brutal but the subsequent mutilations to the bodies thereafter told of a very different story. The savage, cold blooded removal of head and heart from the two victims indicated a murderer who didn't simply want these men to die. That in itself was clearly not enough to satisfy. Whoever he or she was wanted to make a specific point about these victims. There had to be a good reason why the body parts were removed and it couldn't have been merely to shock. And Lewis had the feeling that the parts that were removed hadn't been chosen at random either. He instinctively sensed there was a method to the killer's apparent madness. But what could that be?

Did the two men know each other or was their only connection the fact that they were both known to the killer and had never even met? Had these two men wronged the murderer in some way and this was his particularly brutal way of taking revenge? What the hell could either of these men have done that could have prompted such a savage reaction? For Lewis detected a genuine hatred on the part of the killer for his two victims, a loathing that quite possibly had built up over many years, increasing in intensity to the point perhaps of obsession until it could no longer be contained. This hatred, this animal rage which finally expressed itself in the cold-blooded removal of the organs, had been bubbling under the surface for some time but had been concealed from those around him until the day finally arrived when it could safely be let out without a lead.

Lewis cast his mind over the people left at the party he and Hathaway had spoken to briefly last night. Could he really see one of them as a possible suspect? Could any of them have had the strength and purpose of mind, the icy, steely nerveless courage or the twisted, savage obsession with revenge to kill a man and then neatly cut out and take away his heart? What were they dealing with? A bunch of typical graduate and post-graduate students, assorted learned and highly respected members of the Oxford academic staff, a motley collection of newspaper hounds- some wise, old hacks mixed in with a few young, ambitious journos on the make - plus a sprinkling of bright young things up from Bristol for the weekend to celebrate their old friend Naomi Campbell's birthday. It didn't exactly make for an impressive line up to rank with The Usual Suspects.

On the other hand, he thought, his many varied cases over the last twenty years had amply demonstrated that the rarefied, intellectual, parochial academic world of Oxford had proved on numerous occasions to be a fertile breeding ground for all manner of petty jealousies, seething, bitter resentments and secret political machinations and social manoeuvrings which rendered unsurprising the frequency of murder, often brutal, unforgiving murder within Oxford's sacred, fortified boundaries. He had arrested enough Oxford Dons in his time to know that high social and intellectual status was no barrier to the existence of a twisted, evil, murderous mind lurking within that superficially harmless and cerebral exterior.

Besides which, he reminded himself as he finished off the last mouthful of lukewarm tea, it could have been someone who wasn't at the party. Their murderer might have followed Mr Wells to the house and waited for him to leave during the evening and taken the opportunity to bump him off as soon as he had left. He couldn't rule it out as a possibility, however unlikely it might seem. He and Hathaway had to find out more about their two victims and he decided that a visit back to the newspaper's offices would be their first port of call on Monday morning to dig up as much as they could on their latest victim. Lewis wanted to know chapter and verse on Mr Wells, delve into his past and find out if he had any enemies, if he had seriously upset anyone over the years. Given that he was a newspaper man through and through, Lewis didn't imagine it wouldn't be too hard to uncover a number of people he had pissed off and wound up in the course of his job – 'that's what journalists do for a living, after all', he said to himself, smiling ruefully as he leaned back in his chair and yawned.

-.

**PART 4**

The fresh, pleasantly warm afternoon air had done them all the power of good. Even Katie had seemed to have acquired a new lease of life. She had surprised the others by unexpectedly joining them downstairs shortly after they had finished breakfast and then equally not surprised them by putting in no more than a token effort in helping them clear up the house for the next hour or so. After having carried a few plates and glasses out into the kitchen and cursorily wiped the odd kitchen surface with all the energy and speed of an asthmatic snail carrying a heavy bag of shopping, she proceeded to collapse in an armchair where she remained until they had finished, albeit helpfully pointing out to the others where they had missed picking up stray items of rubbish.

But now as they strolled serenely along the river bank, taking it in turns to throw a stick or a ball for Harvey to chase excitedly after and bring back for them to begin the whole process all over again, fuzzy and foggy minds seemed to have largely cleared to be replaced by a more sober, reflective mood as the events of the night before began to slowly sink in to their consciousness.

'You do realise, don't you, that the police probably think one of us did it?' said Naomi to no-one in particular.

'Did what?' said Emily looking across at Naomi, confused at her girlfriend's question which had come out of nowhere.

'Killed your boss, of course,' replied Naomi as she launched the ball off into the distance and watched with no little amusement as Harvey dutifully scampered off at breakneck speed in pursuit of it yet again. She marvelled at his capacity to repeat the same simple task time after time without complaint or protest.

'Oh, don't be ridiculous, Naoms! Why would any of us want to kill Mr Wells? You can't be serious!'

'I don't mean any of _us_, silly! I mean someone else who was at the party. It stands to reason it must have been one of them.' Naomi's argument had clearly hit home as everyone stopped dead in their tracks and turned to stare at her, confused expressions clearly visible on all their faces with one notable exception..

'Why would anybody at the party last night want to kill him?' asked Effy calmly. Nobody knew him apart from the guys he worked with at the paper and I can't see any of them wanting to do him in.'

'Naoms, do you know what you're suggesting?' cried an incredulous Emily 'That one of the people I invited last night is a murderer! I don't believe you. I think it's far more likely he was killed by someone who was passing by at the time he left the house.'

'Maybe he got into an argument or a fight with someone who tried to mug him and it all got out of control,' suggested JJ helpfully, after racking his brains to think of a likely scenario.

'Yeah, right. Your average mugger does tend to over-react a bit by ripping someone's heart out when they refuse to hand over their dosh,' said Naomi giving JJ a withering look. 'You read about that happening quite a lot, don't you?'

'So who's your money on, Naomi?' Effy asked, intrigued by the rationale behind her friend's argument.

'Well, there was one person there last night who we know has a history of violence.'

Several blank faces stared at Naomi in bemusement as the blonde challenged them all to come up with the obvious answer.

'If you mean who I think you do, then you're wrong,' said Katie. 'Cook would never kill anyone. He may be a total head case but he's not a cold-blooded killer, for fuck's sake. This is Cook we're talking about, remember, not Jack the Ripper.'

'Well, someone did him in and I don't buy the argument that it was just some random passer by.' Naomi wasn't going to be swayed from her theory that they were partying the previous evening with an unknown sick, sadistic serial killer.

'Guys, can we change the subject, please?' begged Lara who was growing a little weary and bored of the conversation. 'This is way too nice an afternoon to waste it talking about serial killers and stuff like that.'

They all murmured an apology and made their way over towards the ice cream tea shop which lay a hundred yards ahead of them, with the exception of Effy who, after glancing at her watch, said she had to go off and meet someone.

'I wonder who that can be,' said Naomi with a mischievous glint in her eye. 'It wouldn't happen to be a certain Detective Sergeant Hathaway, by any chance, would it?'

'Maybe, maybe not,' said Effy in her customary mysterious manner.

'Oh, if you're meeting the dishy Sgt Hathaway, can I come along with you?' asked Katie, suddenly perking up at the mention of his name. 'I liked him. He was fun.'

Effy shook her slowly, feigning a note of regret in her voice as she instantly cut Katie down to size. 'I'm really sorry Katie but I'm afraid where I'm going there's only room for two.' With that cryptic parting shot which left the others baffled and intrigued, Effy went off in the direction of the river and was soon out of sight.

**PART 5**

'Are you looking forward to being a father, JJ?' Naomi asked before slowly and very seductively sliding another spoonful of Italian ice cream between her moist lips whilst she looked meaningfully across the table at Emily who almost turned purple and choked on her own ice cream with embarrassment.

'I….I think so…..yes, yes, definitely, 'replied JJ a little startled at the question which came out of the blue. 'I mean I'm really excited at the prospect but I guess I'm a little bit apprehensive, as well…..if I'm honest,' he said, shooting a quick glance at Lara to check she wasn't upset by his openness.

'Why apprehensive?' said Katie who had spotted out of the corner of her eye Naomi's sexually suggestive gestures and tutted and huffed quietly to herself in despair. 'After all, you've been like a second Dad to Albert for long enough now, haven't you? Surely you're used to being a father?'

'I suppose it's just because this baby will be mine, well ours, I should say, not Lara's and someone else's. It just feels….different.'

'Well, I think it's brilliant news. I think you'll be a wonderful Dad.'

'Thank you, Katie' smiled JJ in response, suitably and visibly chuffed by Katie's confidence in his prospective paternal capabilities. Lara nudged JJ surreptitiously and gave him a long hard look which JJ eventually picked up on. Coughing nervously to clear his throat he added. 'Actually, Katie, since we've moved on to the subject, Lara and I wanted to ask you something. We want to ask you if you would consider doing us a big favour.'

'What's that?' Katie looked across at the pair of them, intrigued, as indeed were Naomi and Emily.

'Well… we were wondering if you…..that is, we gave it a lot of thought and….. if you don't fancy it, then that's absolutely fine, we won't be at all upset….. but we discussed it between ourselves and we both felt it would be really lovely if….'

'Oh, for God's sake, JJ! Can't you ever get straight to the point?'' Lara let out a cry of anguish and frustration at JJ's customary tongue-tied, stuttering way of asking what he saw as a slightly delicate or difficult question. 'I'm sorry about this gibbering wreck next to me, Katie. Let _me _ask you before we all die wondering, shall I? Will you be Godmother to our child?'

A stunned silence followed while the other three tried to take in Lara and JJ's unexpected request. Everyone looked amazed, none more so than Katie whose mouth shot open in an audible gasp and eyes bulged wide. Naomi's spoonful of ice cream seemed to have become temporarily lodged in her mouth and Emily stared at Lara as if she had spoken in a foreign language and was trying to translate in her head what she had said into English.

'You don't have to give us an answer right now, Katie,' JJ reassured her hastily, noticing that their question had come as something of a shock to her.

'No, of course not,' added Lara. 'The end of today will be fine.' At a further gasp from a still speechless and gobsmacked Katie Lara was quick to put her scrambled mind at rest. 'I'm joking, Katie, she smiled. 'Take as long as you need, obviously.'

Katie nodded silently and sunk into deep thought while the other four turned the conversation towards general chatter about Lara's pregnancy and her and JJ's plans for the baby. A couple of minutes later, after they had all eaten their ice creams, Naomi let out a cry and pointed over towards the river behind them. All heads turned in the direction of her arm to witness a punt slowly making its way down the river.

They could clearly make out the figure of James Hathaway standing magisterially at the back, pole held firmly in both hands as he confidently and effortlessly steered the vessel through the calm waters and then Effy as she reclined elegantly at the other end of the punt, a hand held casually over the side, her fingertips kissing the surface of the water as they gently rolled down the river, basking in the glow of the afternoon sunshine. Katie broke her silence of the last few minutes to let out an oath of real ferocity and emotion. 'The selfish little cow! There's plenty of room on that boat for three of us!'

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

I would just like to take the opportunity to thank the anonymous person who left a short but very sweet review of chapter 9 for their extremely kind words. I wish you had allowed me to reply directly to you but if you prefer to remain anonymous and not invite replies to reviews then you have a perfect right to do so. But thank you once again for your hugely uplifting comments.

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	12. Chapter 12

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: It's the morning after the night before and as DI Lewis ponders the case at home the gang clean up the house without Katie's help as she is still too pissed from the previous evening. Emily has sent her article on the murder in to the paper for approval. In the afternoon Naomi argues that Emily's boss must have been murdered by someone at the party but no-one supports her theory. Lara and JJ stun Katie by asking if she would be godmother to their baby. Effy and Sgt Hathaway are spotted by the gang punting along the river which infuriates an envious Katie who still harbours designs on Hathaway.

**CHAPTER TWELVE: **

**PART 1**

'Does anyone fancy clubbing tonight?' suggested Naomi as she laid the table for the chilli con carne that Emily was preparing for the communal evening meal. 'There's this place in town we know that's only a fiver to get in on Sundays and the music's not too bad. I could do with a night out tonight after what happened here last night.'

Her proposal seemed to meet with general approval from Katie, JJ and Lara and so a plan was hatched to make their way over there around nine o'clock. 'I'll text Effy and let her know what we're doing,' said Naomi going off in search of her phone.

'Why?' asked Katie in a surly tone and her expression bordered on an unflattering pout. 'She's probably _far_ too busy with her precious new boyfriend to want to spend the evening with us.'

'Oh for God's sake, Katie, get over it, will you?' Naomi stopped at the door and turned round to give the moody cow a piece of her mind. 'It's not Effy's fault she got in with Sgt Hathaway first. Why are you acting like this? They've only just met. It's not as if she's serious about him.'

'That's not what it looked like this afternoon. They seemed to be getting on _very_ well from what I could see.' Katie scowled across at Naomi and came close to telling her to butt out and mind her own business but couldn't face another blazing row so refrained from saying what she really felt.

'Be fair, Katie,' said Emily gently, breaking off momentarily from her cooking exploits, 'Effy's had a pretty shit time recently. She deserves a little bit of fun in her life for once. Surely you don't begrudge her that?'

'Effy's not the only …' she retorted stridently but instantly decided against finishing her sentence, realising that it would only lead to questions and demands for explanations which she wasn't in the mood to provide at that time. She fell silent and ignored Emily's 'Not the only what?' choosing merely to shrug her shoulders dismissively. After a brief awkward pause she stormed out of the room and headed up the stairs without a word of explanation.

'Jesus! What's got into her?' Lara looked nonplussed at JJ and Emily who had watched equally astonished as Katie walked out on them. 'She's been like a bear with a sore head all day.'

'I don't know,' admitted Emily. 'I'm worried about her. Something's not right but she's not letting on what's up.'

'Maybe she's just got problems with her boyfriend. She's probably a bit jealous of Effy getting on so well with Sgt Hathaway. I mean, he is rather different from all the other guys she's gone out with lately.' JJ would never claim to be an expert on human personal relationships but even he could see from the little time he had spent talking to the detective sergeant over the weekend that Hathaway was a class above your average guy. He was older, wiser, smarter and generally on a higher social level than anyone either girl had come across before.

'I don't think it's that, JJ' said Emily turning her attention back to the chilli. 'I can tell it's way deeper than just lousy boyfriend trouble. I need to have a chat with her later on.'

'She'll be in a better mood when we're in the club,' said Lara, trying to cheer up Emily whom she could see was quite anxious and confused by her twin's erratic and unpredictable behaviour. 'You wait and see. I bet you she'll be dribbling all over the first half decent looking guy who tries to chat her up. She'll have forgotten all about Effy and Sgt Hathaway by the end of the evening.'

'I wouldn't be too sure about that,' said Naomi who had come back into the kitchen and must have heard the end of the conversation. 'They don't tend to let blind, desperate, brain-dead halfwits into the club if they can help it. Katie will have her work cut out trying to find her type of guy.'

'Oh, Naoms, that's not fair! Don't be so horrible!' Emily sprung instinctively to her sister's defence in her absence, even though it was her own Naomi who was putting Katie down so dismissively.

'Come on, Ems, be honest. Look at the guys she's been out with in the past! That pervy footballer Danny, that half-witted moron Sam, this current dickhead she's lumbered herself with. Not one of them worth wasting her time over. All of them with the personality and charisma of a pile of dog shit.'

'I know they've all been a waste of space but that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve something better. Just give her a break for once and don't be so mean to her, Naoms.'

'Okay, I'll try! It won't be easy but….anything for you babes,' smiled Naomi, planting an affectionate kiss on her girlfriend's lips and returning to the table to finish laying out the places.

**PART 2**

Having found the splendid isolation of her guest bedroom, away from the prying eyes, cutting remarks and searching questions of the others, Katie was able to express her true feelings and emotions without having to hold them back. After slamming the door shut she threw herself on the bed, let out a scream of pent-up frustration and misery and then reached down for her overnight bag to grab hold of the only thing that would make her feel better. She hurriedly unscrewed the top of the whisky bottle and frantically poured the comforting warm liquid into her mouth, revelling in the burning sensation it produced as it hit the back of her throat and caring little about the few stray drops that dribbled out of her mouth and slowly trickled down her face.

She was breathing heavily, her eyes tight shut, as she willed herself to stay calm and let the whisky weave its magic powers of regeneration on her fraught and scrambled senses. Gradually her heart started pounding a little less, her breathing returned to something approaching normal and the feelings of giddiness and sickness which were rising up inside her when she came into the room seemed to have abated. One more mouthful and she had emptied the bottle. That was it – all gone now. She would have to lay her hands on another prescription, she thought, otherwise she would just die, she knew she would. The whisky was the only thing that was keeping her going, keeping her sane, keeping her alive. If she couldn't get her hands on a fresh bottle, she didn't know what she would do. Go out of her mind, she reckoned. Either that or put an end to everything. That series of depressing thoughts and images that she had just conjured up in her head suddenly hit her very hard and from nowhere she burst into floods of tears, her shoulders heaving violently up and down. She rolled over onto her stomach and buried her head in the pillow to muffle the sounds of her sobbing which continued for a good minute or so until she was mercifully dragged away from her self-absorbed misery and back into the harsh reality of the real world.

She could hear a voice shouting up the stairs but with the door firmly shut she couldn't make out what was being said. Not that she cared much. It was probably Emily trying to tell her that dinner was ready. But she wasn't feeling particularly hungry right then. She'd already had her meal. she didn't need anything else to accompany it. Whisky was always best served neat, without water, without soda and certainly without fucking chilli con carne. Her throat and mouth were on fire enough as it was, thanks very much. Anything on top of that and they would need to call the fire brigade. She sniffed loudly, found a tissue up her sleeve, blew her nose a couple of times and felt a little better.

But it appeared that no-one was prepared to leave her alone in peace for more than a few minutes as she soon heard a gentle tap on the door and a voice call out, 'Katie? Dinner's ready. Are you coming down? You don't want it to get cold, do you?' It was JJ, bless him. Presumably he had been sent upstairs on Emily instructions or maybe he had bravely volunteered to talk to 'the mad woman' and persuade her to come back down and resume normal human interaction with her nearest and dearest. What a fucking nightmare! 'I'm coming!' she replied, trying not to sound too pissed off or snappy since she knew it wasn't JJ's fault she was feeling the way she was.

She stood up and walked over to the small mirror hanging on the wall above the chest of drawers and had a good look at herself. To her dismay she could see her face was showing all the tell-tale signs of someone having bawled their eyes out recently. Her eyes were still red and puffy, her cheeks slightly tear-stained and her make-up smudged to buggery and back. But she only needed a couple of minutes of skilful, well practiced cleansing, wiping and re-application of her make-up to remove most, if not all, traces of her tearful outburst. She nodded in approval at the results and felt ready to face the gang once more. 'Come on, bring it on!' she said, pumping herself up into a state of defiant determination. 'I can take the lot of you on, you bastards.'

**PART 3**

Effy checked her phone and read the text that Naomi had sent her, smiling wryly as she came to the end of the message. 'The gang are going clubbing later on. Are you up for that, James? Do you fancy a bit of a turn on the dance floor?'

Hathaway looked at Effy who was staring at him somewhat enigmatically. He suspected she was trying to hypnotise him, silently daring him to say yes and he tried not to look too horrified at the idea of him shaking his thing on the dance floor with a whole bunch of young, tanked up, probably high as a kite, twenty-year olds. Somehow he doubted very much that the sort of place Effy and her friends frequented for an evening's bumping and grinding (as he believed the expression was) would even let in an old fart like him.

'I'm not much of a dancer, Effy. I think I would probably cramp your style – and embarrass the hell out of you and your friends.'

'Oh, I think I should be the judge of that, don't you? Actually I suspect you're being very modest. I reckon you're quite a mover once you get going – with the right girl, of course.'

'And you would be that girl, I suppose? The one that would get the best out of me – even on the dance floor?

'Oh, yes, James. I think we can safely say that. I've broken in far more desperate, hopeless cases than you over the years, I can assure you. I don't see you as much of a challenge at all, in fact. I can see in your eyes you're already imagining the two of us locked together on the dance floor.'

Hathaway broke out into a chuckle. He couldn't help but admire Effy's patient persistence and the cool way she dealt with any obstacles that anyone tried to put in her path. He was trying to put up a brave fight but he knew that ultimately resistance was useless. He was close to being putty in her hands and it was an unusual situation for him that he was at a loss to know how to deal with adequately. Should he just give in and let Effy do her worst with him or should he hold back like he would normally do when a woman threatened to make too much of an impression on him?

'Is this going to be your last night in Oxford?' he asked, nimbly springing to his feet and holding out an arm to help Effy get up off the grass where they had been lying.

'I don't know,' replied Effy, brushing the grass off her legs and deliberately shaking her long, dark hair so that it lightly grazed Hathaway's face. 'I haven't decided yet. It might all depend on tonight, James. Would you like me to stay on in Oxford a bit longer? Or does the idea of seeing a bit more of me scare the shit out of you?'

Hathaway considered what would be the appropriate response and was acutely aware of Effy looking hard at him from over the top of her sunglasses which made his decision-making process all the harder to formulate. In the end he settled for speaking the truth. 'It…. scares the shit out of me, to be honest.'

Effy's face broke out into a broad, satisfied smile. 'Good. That was the right answer, James. You passed the test with flying colours. Shall we grab something to eat? I'm starving.' Hathaway nodded and they began to slowly make their over towards the path which led away from the riverbank and back towards the city. Effy linked arms with the sergeant and leaned in to him ever so slightly although maintaining just enough of a gap between the two of them to ensure that the mesmerised detective didn't get too far ahead of himself just yet. There would be time enough for that later.

**PART 4**

Having spent about five minutes finding a space to park the car, DI Lewis and Dr Hobson were gradually picking their way towards the cinema through the busy crowds of people who had clearly also decided that this was far too pleasant an evening to spend stuck at home in front of the television.

'It was a good idea of yours to think of going to see a film,' said Lewis, smiling at Laura. 'I can't remember the last time I went to the cinema. Val and I used to go quite a lot but I don't seem to go much nowadays.'

'So…. you and Sgt Hathaway don't go and see the latest crime thriller together, then, for inspiration and motivation?' Laura was almost laughing herself before she had even finished coming out with the preposterous image and Lewis forced a wry smile across at her as he twigged that she was gently teasing him again.

'Definitely not,' he replied, shaking his head. 'I can't imagine what Sgt Hathaway gets up to in his spare time but I would say it's a fair bet he doesn't spend it watching cops and robbers films. At least…I hope to God he doesn't, otherwise I've sadly misjudged him.'

Laura laughed. Over the last ten years she had grown to love Robbie's gentle, dry, understated sense of humour which, when away from the intense pressures and seriousness of police work, had a habit of floating to the surface of their conversations. She knew he was essentially a fun-loving guy who just needed a bit of an elbow from time to time to persuade him to let go and relax. This evening happily enough it seemed to her he was in one of his more chilled out moods and that bode well for the rest of the evening as long as nothing came along to throw a spanner in the works. Sadly something did.

They were only a dozen or so yards away from the entrance to the cinema and could see a decent sized queue had already formed on one side, the film being a popular new one which the world and his wife had decided they wanted to take in that Sunday evening to round off the weekend. They looked at each other slightly dismayed that they couldn't just walk straight in to the box office but Lewis was in a positive frame of mind that evening.

'Oh, it'll be all right,' he said with an encouraging tone to his voice, 'It's not _that_ big a queue. We'll be inside in no time, just you wait and see.'

Laura nodded enthusiastically and smiled, inwardly delighted that the unexpected queue of people hadn't put Robbie off the idea of watching the film. While she was hardly anticipating spending most of the evening canoodling with Robbie in the back row of the cinema next to a whole load of fumbling teenagers and love struck courting couples, she was looking forward to sitting close to him and feeling his strong, warm, friendly presence alongside her. And who knows, she speculated wildly, if he fancied taking a risk and leant in towards her at some point during the film to whisper in her ear and seize the opportunity to give her a quick kiss on the cheek, then far be it from her to turn him down by leaning away.

They walked up to the front of the cinema and then past the entrance, following the queue all the way down as it lined the side of the cinema building and arced sharply around the corner. Suddenly Lewis stopped dead in his tracks, grabbed Laura's arm to bring her to a halt and let out a mild oath which alerted Laura to the fact that something was up.

'What is it, Robbie?' she asked, concerned to see his face crease up with frustration and barely controlled anger. He took a few steps back, half turning round to face the direction they had just come from, seemingly unsure what to do next.

'Bloody hell,' he said expounding on his earlier reaction, 'It's the Chief Super.'

'Innocent? Where? In the queue?' Laura looked across at the line of people just a few feet away from them but couldn't recognise Chief Supt. Jean Innocent in any of the laughing, smiling, strange faces that stared back at her. 'I can't see her. Are you sure?'

'Positive,' said Lewis morosely. 'She's with a couple of girl friends, standing just where the queue bends around the corner of the building.'

'So?' Laura stared up at Lewis' face and challenged him to ruin her evening right there and then. 'What does it matter, Robbie? Why are you afraid of her seeing us?'

'Oh, come on, you know what she's like, Laura. I'll never hear the end of it. She's been trying to match make the pair of us for ages. If she sees us here tonight it'll be all round the station tomorrow morning that I've been spotted taking you to the pictures.'

'Well, if we're going to be pedantic, _I'm_ taking _you_ to the pictures. I called you, remember?' Laura's face wasn't smiling any more despite the jokiness of her remark. She couldn't believe Robbie was planning on ducking out on tonight just because he was afraid of a little bit of harmless station gossip and light-hearted banter. She thought he was made of sterner stuff than that.

But maybe Lewis could read her mind or at least was sensitive enough to pick up on the negative vibes that Laura was giving out for what he suggested next was not to turn round, give up on the film and go home. Instead he proposed they hang back a little while, just far enough away to be out of sight of Innocent and her friends until the queue had moved forward and she was safely inside the cinema.

'It's all a bit cloak and dagger, schoolboy stuff, don't you think?' Laura said with a somewhat pained expression on her face, although she was mightily relieved to see he still wanted to see the film.

'I know it is a bit, Laura but if we just give it a few minutes she'll be inside and then we can join the queue at the back. She'll never see us once we're sat down.'

'We could always try putting on some kind of disguise. I could wrap a shawl around my head- that would hide most of my face. Maybe you could put sunglasses on and comb your hair into a different style. What do you reckon?'

'Oh, I don't think we need to go….,' but he tailed off without finishing his reply as she realised Laura was smirking at him in a pitying manner. 'You were being sarcastic, weren't you?' he asked, feeling a bit foolish as he felt his cheeks turn red with mild embarrassment.

'Sorry, Robbie, but you deserved that. Would it really be that embarrassing for you to be linked with me?'

'God, no way!' said Lewis, appalled that Laura could actually think that the shame would all be on his side. 'You're joking, aren't you? My credibility and reputation would be sky high – it would go through the roof if everyone thought…well, you know, that we were ….an item, I think is how it's called nowadays. Most of the guys at the station probably think I couldn't pull Miss Piggy or even a blind woman.'

Laura laughed and Lewis relaxed a bit once he could see that she wasn't cross with him any more. It wasn't long before he judged it safe enough for them to hurry over and join the queue and they were still giggling like a couple of kids at the madness of the whole secret shenanigans as at long last they entered the cinema and bought their tickets.

**PART 5**

The club was packed to the rafters and the music was throbbing and bouncing off the walls. The whole place was rocking and all the gang were having a great time. Naomi's shocking discovery of Emily's boss's mutilated dead body in the woods seemed to be but a distant memory, a bad dream from which they were now determined to exorcise their troubled minds and spirits.

Naomi and Emily were dancing with each other, naturally enough, seductively rubbing their hot, sweaty bodies up and down one another, their faces lit up with barely controlled passion and longing for each other, a passion moreover which Naomi was planning to unleash on an unsuspecting Emily later on once they got home and retired to bed. JJ and Lara were similarly dancing together, just a few feet away from the two girls but perhaps with not quite the same intense, uninhibited and eye-catching style as them. For one thing JJ had yet to truly master the skill of rubbing his crotch up and down Lara's without making himself look like the horniest pervert in the house. He also knew that Lara was prone to dishing out the odd well judged slap if she felt he was overstepping the boundaries of what she considered acceptable behaviour on a crowded dance floor in front of all their friends.

Katie had succeeded to no-one's astonishment in picking up some guy within minutes of them arriving and was now in full flow with him on the dance floor, giving him the full treatment, showing off all her well rehearsed best moves which usually worked a treat on any poor sod providing he was sex-mad, easily impressed and gullible as fuck. This one obviously was. He wrongly assumed that just because Katie was ostensibly dancing with him, toe to toe if not exactly arse to arse or groin to groin, then she must be interested in him alone and that all the slinky, sexy moves she was pulling off that were making his eyes bulge, his tongue hang out and his cock almost punch a hole in his jeans were for his sole benefit. The poor sad deluded bastard! For it was James Hathaway who was Katie's real intended target and this performance that she was giving was aimed, however obliquely it might have appeared, very much at him as he danced with Effy just a few feet away from her.

As Effy had correctly speculated, DS Hathaway was actually not a bad mover on the dance floor, certainly better than many she had seen and suffered with over the years. He had natural rhythm and an easy, subtle and understated style and avoided making the school boy error of looking down at his feet half the time to check his feet were moving in the right direction. She enjoyed dancing with him and her pleasure seemed to have rubbed off on him because he was relaxing more and more, allowing his body to go where it wanted without becoming too self-conscious and inhibited.

But Effy was having trouble keeping a straight face at Katie's painfully obvious attempts to catch Hathaway's eye and attention. The dancing detective, easily distinguishable from the Singing Detective, had also noticed Katie looking over at him and smiling hugely for some time now and was equally desperate to avoid looking across at her any more for fear of encouraging her still further. He was bitterly regretting the first few smiles of polite recognition and greeting he had given her some time ago and was studiously avoiding her gaze which he could sense was homing in on him with every turn she made of her body in his direction.

Effy leaned forward and shouted in his ear. 'You appear to have a secret admirer, James. Feel free to go over and dance with her if you want. You don't have to stick with me, you know. I'm more than happy to go and join the others.'

Hathaway smiled wryly and his eyes seemed to scream for help and understanding. 'Don't you dare leave me on my own here,' he pleaded into her ear. 'I'll never get out alive. She'll probably swallow me up whole.'

Effy laughed sympathetically and nodded. 'And spit you out afterwards,' she said. 'She's like the black widow spider. Once she has you caught up in her web, there's no escape. All that's left for you is sex and then death.' She paused for a moment, pondering if it was always in that order but she couldn't remember.

The unlikely pair moved sinuously and rhythmically in perfect synchronicity, never more than a few inches apart but not once touching, and as their heads came together at a moment in time Hathaway hollered again in her ear 'I feel I should apologise in advance for tomorrow.'

Effy gazed at a rueful looking Hathaway and immediately understood what he was getting at. 'Do you turn back into a policeman again at midnight, then?'

'Well, not midnight exactly but certainly tomorrow morning. I'm afraid I might have to come over all official on you and your friends and ask you some more questions about Saturday night. Sorry.'

'It's okay, I understand. You'll just be doing your job, trying to catch a murderer. So will I have to become Effy the suspect instead of Effy your friend?'

'I don't really see you as a strong suspect, Effy but it's our job to find the evidence to eliminate people as suspects as well as incriminate them.' Hathaway had switched to his serious face and yet he felt uncomfortable doing so in the raucous, buzzing, fever pitch atmosphere of a night club. 'Can we change the subject?' he shouted and was relieved to see Effy smile and nod. They continued to dance with each other the rest of the evening while Katie continued to look on with increasing envy and a well disguised feeling of loneliness in a place teeming with single, available young men.

**PART 6**

'Hey! Hiya, Harvey!' Naomi cried as the puppy launched himself out of his basket in the kitchen as soon as the gang got back home and nearly knocked Naomi over in his excitement. 'Did you miss us, little fellow? Well, we're back now.' His tail was going like the clappers as he stood up on his hind legs with his front paws resting on a kneeling Naomi's legs and tried to lick her to death. .The rest of the gang all said goodnight to Naomi and Emily and retired to their respective rooms for the night, leaving the two girls alone in the kitchen.

'Jesus! You sure have a very wet tongue, don't you,' she said, wiping her wet face with her hand as she struggled to calm down Harvey who was beside himself at being reunited with his new owner.

'Are you talking to me or the dog?' Emily sniggered as she filled up a glass with ice cold water She was completely done in and was longing to lie down in her warm, cosy bed and snuggle up to her hot, gorgeous girlfriend

'You, of course,' replied Naomi, grinning up at Emily. '_He_ wouldn't understand a word I was saying.'

'Are you coming up?' I need my bed right now, I'm knackered.'

'I'll just take Harvey for a five minute walk around the block then I'll be straight up,' said Naomi who was taking her dog-owning duties very seriously, especially after having left the poor little creature all on his own for the evening. 'Warm up the bed for me, sweetheart,' said the blonde, wrapping her arms around Emily's slim waist and stroking her tummy, before nimbly sliding a hand down the front of Emily's skirt.

'Oi! Stop it! Go and walk the dog!' Emily wriggled free from Naomi's grasp and wheeled round to give her a hard stare, her lips set firm in mock seriousness. 'You won't get laid until you've seen to the baby first.' Naomi pouted and stuck her tongue out at Emily in disapproval but took the hint and was soon out of the house with a mega excited Harvey in tow.

Ten minutes later both girls were in bed and snuggled up to each other as Emily had been looking forward to, kissing passionately and getting increasingly turned on and hot for each other. Things were just about to take off and follow their natural progression when their attention was unexpectedly diverted by the unmistakeable sounds of high pitched yelping and frantic, persistent scratching at the bedroom door. Both girls stopped what they were doing (or, in Emily's case, having done to her) and looked at each other, each with the same thought flashing through their mind. Harvey!

'Ignore him,' said Naomi persuasively. 'He'll soon get bored and go back downstairs.' She resumed her caressing and kissing of Emily's breasts but her prediction that the puppy would tire of scratching and whimpering fell short of the mark. If anything the pitiful, heart-tugging sounds increased in intensity and became impossible to ignore after a while. It seemed that the poor little thing was missing his owner after a whole evening left to his own devices and was determined that he should not be cast aside a second time. His owner had to be taught a lesson that a puppy is for 24/7, not just for those parts of the day that suit you.

'Oh, don't be so heartless, Naoms,' said Emily who couldn't bear to listen to the sound of Harvey's distress a second longer. 'Let him in. Look, I'll put a blanket down on the floor in the corner and he can go to sleep on that. He just wants to be with us.'

She jumped out of bed, arranged a blanket accordingly and with Naomi's grudging consent opened the door to allow Harvey to skip into the room, tail wagging furiously whilst he let out little yelps of delight. Emily picked him up, carried him over to the blanket and gently set him down on it without him making the slightest fuss. He seemed to get the message straight away and settled himself down quietly, seemingly intent on a nice long sleep close by his mistress.

Emily jumped back into bed and she and Naomi promptly carried on from where they left off before they were interrupted. All was fine for the next few minutes and the room gradually became filled with the unmistakeable sighs and groans of the two girls as they sought to satisfy each other's sexual needs as they had done on countless other occasions in this very bedroom. Suddenly they heard a bump and both girls felt movement at the bottom of the bed near their feet. They broke off again from their carnal activities, turned their heads and gazed down towards the end of the bed. They were flabbergasted to see Harvey sitting on the edge by their feet, head tilted to one side, ears flapping manically, front paws stretched out in front of him, intently watching them as if he was enjoying his own private viewing of some hot doggy porn film.

'No! I don't believe it! This is NOT ON!' Naomi groaned in disbelief at the sight of Harvey staring at the pair of them in such a cute and adorable manner. Emily looked across at a despairing Naomi and couldn't help bursting out laughing. It took Naomi some time to see the funny side of the situation but eventually even she was unable to prevent a wry smile from escaping her initially solemn expression and it wasn't long afterwards that she was giggling along with Emily.

'There is no way I can feel comfortable having sex while being watched at close quarters by a puppy,' said Emily ruefully.

'We could just boot him out,' suggested Naomi, not terribly convincingly.

'And have him scratching and whimpering at the door all night? We won't get a minute's sleep, babes.'

'But we might get some sex,' thought Naomi gloomily before giving in to the insurmountable force that was Harvey's cute little face peering at her adoringly from the end of the bed. She had to make do with just cuddling Emily before drifting off to sleep, not without first making a mental note to come up with a workable solution the next day as to how the hell they were going to have sex in their bedroom ever again.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

I thought that with this chapter falling on a Sunday it was appropriate that I introduced a 24 hour 'time-out' from the seriousness of the murder investigation-after all, even detectives deserve have a day off! I have therefore tried to concentrate on more light-hearted matters and other issues affecting our characters beyond the actual murder which I hope you appreciated and approved of. All reviews will be most gratefully appreciated and welcomed, as ever.

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	13. Chapter 13

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily is convinced something is up with Katie and is keen to find out what it is. Meanwhile, alone in her bedroom, Katie attempts to drink her way out of a dark depression. Whilst spending the afternoon on the river with Hathaway, Effy debates how much longer to stay in Oxford. Lewis and Hobson arrive at the cinema only for Lewis to spot Chief Supt Innocent and persuade a reluctant Hobson to hide from her. Katie has the gang in stitches at a night club when she tries to flirt on the dance floor with Sgt Hathaway. Naomi's plans for a night of passion with Emily are thwarted by Harvey's insistence at sleeping on the bed with them.

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: **

**PART 1**

'Have you seen the local newspaper this morning, Lewis?' asked a grumpy Chief Supt. Innocent as soon as DI Lewis entered her room, as she declined to afford him even a cursory good morning greeting. Lewis had been advised by his team on his arrival at the station that Innocent had asked to see him immediately and it was with a strong sense of foreboding that he had made his way over to see her. She only ever asked to see him first thing in the morning if she was unhappy about something and he had been racking his brains during the short detour to think what it might be. Their investigation was still in the early stages. Surely she couldn't be irritated already about the lack progress – she was well aware that complex murder enquiries such as this one took time to unravel.

'Um, no Ma'am, I can't say as I have,' he replied bemused and he took the paper which Innocent held out to him without a word but with a face like thunder. He looked at the front page and immediately understood the source of Innocent's extreme dissatisfaction. He saw the screaming headline and began to glance through the accompanying article which was an in-depth description of the murder of the paper's own chief editor and contained certain details which had not been made public after the discovery of the body. His heart sank as he realised the full significance of the article.

'How can the paper have got hold of all those details, Lewis? Who is this reporter, Emily Fitch? I've never heard of her.'

'It was her party that the victim attended on Saturday night, Ma'am,' said Lewis, seething inwardly at his stupidity and negligence at not having warned Emily Fitch off from revealing anything confidential about the murder to the newspaper.

'What? Let me get this straight. You knew she was a reporter at the paper and yet you did nothing to prevent her from writing a detailed article about the murder and getting it published this morning?' Innocent looked aghast and furious with him and Lewis could well understand why. He would have been in her place.

'I'm sorry, Ma'am. That was my fault. She said she was only the office dogsbody and didn't cover any serious local news stories.'

'And you believed her?'

'Yes, Ma'am.' Lewis looked at her sheepishly and wished there was a big hole in the middle of her office that could swallow him up. 'I'll get it sorted out right away.'

'Well, it's a bit late for that now, really, isn't it? But I suppose you'd better try and do some sort of damage limitation, hadn't you? If it's not too much trouble, that is?'

Lewis nodded, handed Innocent back the paper and left her office, head bowed and cursing to himself. This was not the start to the week that he had been hoping for. He found Sgt Hathaway who happened to be reading the offending article when he entered the incident room and didn't need second guessing where Lewis had been.

'I expect the Chief Super was not amused, Sir,' he ventured to suggest, putting the newspaper down on the desk and turning a very serious and contrite expression on his boss whom he knew would have unselfishly carried the can for their cock-up for the both of them.

'You could say that, Sergeant. Face like a smacked arse, in fact. We need to dig ourselves out of the hole double quick before she buries us alive in it. Let's go and pay our undercover newshound Miss Fitch a call, shall we? We need to get some DNA samples from her and her motley crew of friends, anyway.'

Hathaway nodded in silence and kept his misgivings well under wraps. He knew he and the Inspector would have to go back to the house at some stage to ask further questions and that Effy would probably still be there. He would just have to act in a thoroughly professional and detached manner during their visit and hope that Effy would understand. He suspected she would but it was not a part he was particularly relishing having to play. Not for the first time he began to wonder what the hell he was doing getting involved with someone who might turn out to be an unlikely murder suspect or at the very least implicated in some way in the crime at hand.

**PART 2**

Naomi read the front page article of the Oxford Herald for the third time that morning and continued to beam from ear to ear. She was getting such a buzz from seeing Emily's name above the article, even more so than she would have got if she had written it herself. As she had fully expected, the article was in her totally unbiased opinion an exceptional piece of writing, clear, informative, incisive and injecting just about the right combination of tribute and respect for a dead colleague mixed with an objective and emotionally detached account of his shocking murder.

'I think this calls for a celebration, Ems,' she said triumphantly as Emily entered the kitchen. 'Shall we crack open a bottle of champagne?'

'Nice idea, honey, but we've run out of champagne. We finished the last bottle on Saturday night, remember?'

'Oh, of course, so we did.' She had momentarily forgotten about their toasting of JJ and Lara's news about their forthcoming baby.

'Sorry, Naomi,' said JJ rather unnecessarily but so typically of his natural instinct to apologise for things he didn't need to.

'Don't be silly, JJ. No matter, we'll attack the vodka instead.' Naomi was determined to mark the momentous occasion of Emily's first major newspaper article with a suitable alcoholic toast and to that end she went off to fetch the one remaining bottle of vodka which she knew to be still half full after Saturday night. A few seconds passed until a violent oath could be heard coming from the living room and Naomi reappeared in the kitchen clutching the offending bottle which she held out in her right hand and which Emily, JJ, Lara and Effy could see now contained no more than a finger full.

'It's almost completely empty!' she said accusingly, looking at a row of bemused faces. 'It was practically half full the last time I looked!'

'When was that? I mean, are you sure we didn't get through most of it on Saturday night? ' asked Emily, anxious to avoid an embarrassing and unnecessary debate about a few measures of vodka in front of their friends.

'No fucking way!' insisted Naomi, her mouth set firm and her blazing eyes betraying an unmistakeable mood of anger and disbelief. 'I put all the bottles away on Sunday morning and there was definitely still a good half a bottle left then.'

'You're right, there was,' Lara confirmed matter of factly. 'I remember handing you the bottle myself. It was on the floor next to the sofa.'

'Well, I haven't helped myself to any of it, Naomi,' JJ said hurriedly but before he could continue to state the case for his innocence he was shouted down by an even more anxious looking Emily.

'We know you didn't, JJ. You don't even drink alcohol.'

'If I'd had drunk that much yesterday while you weren't looking I'd have been throwing up the rest of the day,' said Lara quietly.

'Guys, guys! Stop it! We're not accusing anyone here of anything! Honestly, Naoms, what the fuck does it matter? It's only booze, after all. We can buy another bottle today. It's no big deal!'

Naomi looked across at Emily and was struck by the almost tearful sounding tone to her voice and the strange, pleading look in her eyes. 'Ems, I couldn't give a flying fuck if someone drank almost half of our vodka. It's what the stuff's here for. It's not meant to be a bloody ornament to look at – it's there to be drunk by us and any of out friends. All whoever it was had to do was ask and we'd have said 'Help yourself, have as much as you like.'

The perfectly valid point had been succinctly made and preceded a deathly silence during which you could have heard a pin drop. Blank faces exchanged blank looks and no-one knew what to say or at least if they did they chose wisely not to express those thoughts out loud.

'Look, I'll get another bottle today and we can celebrate tonight instead,' said Emily who couldn't bear the uneasy silence a second longer.

'I wanted to celebrate your success right _now,_' muttered Naomi, pouting sulkily which even Emily had to admit didn't become her.

'Look, you've got a tutorial at eleven, haven't you?' Emily pointed out. 'You don't want to go in to it reeking of alcohol, do you?'

'I bet it's never stopped her before,' Effy said with an infectious chuckle as she grinned at Naomi, trying to get her to lighten up. Her pithy yet insightful remark caused all of them to laugh and Emily's gasp of relief that Naomi had finally calmed down and snapped out of her grumpy mood was almost audible to everyone. Nonetheless it was Emily who was the quietest of all of them for some time thereafter and seemed to be carrying the most pained and thoughtful expression on her face.

**PART 3**

It was ten o'clock when the doorbell rang and when Emily went to open the door it was to find DI Lewis and DS Hathaway on the doorstep asking to be let in. When she showed them through to the living room the two detectives had to move smartly to avoid falling over Harvey who was playing in the hall with his favourite rubber ball which he loved chasing down the stairs and niftily jumping up to catch in his mouth before it reached the bottom.

'We need a word with you in private first, Miss Fitch and then we need to speak to you and all of your friends together,' said Lewis with a stern expression on his face which filled Emily with dread. She could make a pretty educated guess what the private word was going to be about and had been half expecting a visit from the police any time soon.

'If you've got something to say to Emily, then you can say it in front of me,' said Naomi, scowling unapologetically at DI Lewis. 'We have no secrets from each other, Inspector.'

Lewis considered Naomi's blunt request which came across as tantamount to a non-negotiable demand and looked at Emily who nodded silently but firmly. 'Very well,' he agreed as he closed the living room door behind the four of them, before proceeding to hold up the front page of that morning's weekly edition of the Oxford Herald for the two girls to see. 'I presume you're responsible for this?'

Emily gave no more than a token glance at the newspaper and nodded. 'You told us you were only the general dogsbody at the paper. You said you were never given any serious stories to cover. It would appear there's been a dramatic change in the paper's company policy since we last saw you!'

Lewis's heavily ironic remarks which reflected his early morning bad mood at being balled out by his Chief Super sadly but understandably served only to get Naomi's back up and she sprang instantly to her girlfriend's defence.

'She was just doing her job, Inspector, same as you're doing now! The paper would have been mad not to have assigned the story to her. She was right on the spot when the murder happened. What did you expect her to do?'

'I expect suspects in a murder enquiry not to lie to me, Miss Campbell! It makes it a lot easier for me to think people have nothing to do with the crime if they tell me the truth.'

'I didn't really lie to you, Inspector,' said Emily, encouraged by Naomi's forthright argument in her defence to speak for herself and justify her actions. 'Before Saturday night I'd never been given a serious story to cover for the paper. I was as much a general dogsbody as a junior reporter. You can ask anyone at the paper, they'll tell you exactly the same.'

'And after Saturday night?' Hathaway asked, his face solemn and serious even as he sympathised with Emily and could quite understand why she did what she did, though he knew better to say as much to his boss, then or at any time in the future. **He** wasn't the one getting the bollocking from Innocent.

'Well, I guess I saw an opportunity to make a name for myself at last and….I suppose I thought I had to put myself forward to write the story, given I was so close to where the murder happened. I…..I thought you would understand. I was just being a professional, trying to do my job and make my way in the business. It's not easy when you start right at the bottom, Inspector.'

Fortunately for Emily DI Lewis didn't have a heart of stone and he accepted her argument that she didn't deliberately set out to mislead him during their initial interview. There was nothing in the piece she had written that would particularly prejudice their investigation except perhaps the removal of the victim's heart and in his long experience he had found that those sorts of details always tended to come out in the press one way or another no matter how much a lid the police tried to put on them. He gave her a sharp but short reprimand and warned her that any future pieces she was asked to write on the investigation would have to be cleared with them first which Emily gratefully agreed to with a noticeable sigh of relief. She was still allowed to write about the case, she thought and she had to fight hard not to burst out into a huge smile of joy which in the circumstances would not have been appropriate or helpful.

When Lewis had finished administering the official police warning and had closed the book on Emily he then asked the girls to round up all the others to join them in the living room. Within a few moments JJ, Lara, Effy and a still sleepy and confused Katie were all either sitting on the sofas or perched uncomfortably on the arms, intrigued as to what this communal interrogation process would turn out to be about.

'I'll pass you all over to Sgt. Hathaway for the moment as he's younger and possibly more familiar with the topic than an old fogey like me,' said Lewis with what passed for a smile in the Inspector's repertoire of on the job expressions. Hathaway stepped forward and put on the table a small box which he chose not to open yet but which drew the attention of everyone in the room like a magnet. Six pairs of eyes stared with a startled and semi-hypnotic fascination at the case as if it was Pandora's Box which, when opened, would release all the evils of the world into the room.

'Near the scene of the crime our team of forensic pathologists found the remains of a spliff,' he said. 'Now, it is unlikely that it was left there by the murderer but we cannot afford to assume anything at this stage so we are asking everyone who was at the party on Saturday evening to provide us with a DNA sample so we can eliminate them from a match to the traces of saliva found on the spliff.'

For the second time that morning in the house the silence in a room full of people was deafening. It was Katie who broke the silence first, as she looked across at Hathaway confused and bewildered. 'When you say DNA, do you mean as in…?'

'As in Deoxyribonucleic acid, yes. To put it more simply, Katie, we want a sample of everyone's genetic fingerprint.'

An unidentified stifled giggle made Katie swivel round, eyes glaring, and protest. 'I was just checking, okay? I just wanted to be sure I knew what I was giving to the police.'

Naomi spoke up next, albeit with a voice that to a trained observer such as Emily was unusually low on defiance by her incredibly high standards. 'What if we don't want to provide a sample? We do have the right to refuse if we wish, don't we?'

Hathaway looked at Naomi with an expressionless face and answered her challenging questions succinctly. 'You do have the right to refuse, yes.'

'But if anyone does refuse,' said Lewis, butting in to spell it out for them all in no uncertain terms lest there should be any room for doubt, 'we will be forced to draw our own conclusions as to the reason for that suspect's refusal to co-operate with this aspect of the investigation.'

'As I said,' Hathaway continued, 'we think it highly unlikely the murderer would have been so stupid as to leave evidence like this at the scene of the crime unless we didn't already have him as a possible suspect. We just want to eliminate everyone who was at the party we can from a match to this piece of evidence.

'If you didn't leave the spliff there you have nothing to be afraid about giving us a sample. It's as simple and straightforward as that,' added Lewis in a slightly more reassuring and friendly manner than his previous utterances.

'Well, I didn't smoke it,' said Lara, 'so I'm happy to provide the sample you want.'

Resigned if not reluctant murmurs of agreement rippled through the group, some louder and more convincing than others. Five minutes later DS Hathaway packed away all six samples taken in his box and the two detectives said their farewells. Hathaway paused briefly before leaving the room and only when he was quite certain that Lewis's back was turned away to give Effy a ghost of a smile and a suspicion of a wink. Effy made a quick, familiar gesture with her hand to suggest she would call him later to which he nodded after which he moved smartly to catch up with DI Lewis before his boss became suspicious and turned round to see where his sergeant was.

**PART 4**

Lewis and Hathaway were on their way to their next port of call at the offices of the Oxford Herald when Lewis got a call on his mobile. He took the call, listened intently for half a minute, exchanging no more than a few words with the caller before ringing off. Hathaway looked across and waited patiently for his boss to reveal all.

'We need to make a detour, sergeant,' said Lewis grimly.

'Where to?' asked Hathaway fearing the worst. He guessed correctly it had to be the news they were both expecting if current form and a recent pattern of behaviour was anything to go by.

'To the church of Saint Saviours,' said Lewis. 'Our latest victim's missing heart has turned up.'

Ten minutes later Lewis and Hathaway were sitting down in an empty Saint Saviours talking to a badly shaken Reverend Christopher Charles who had been the poor unfortunate who had made the distressing discovery a short while ago.

'I thought at first it had been left behind by accident by someone who had attended the morning service,' explained the vicar, his voice struggling to remain composed as he clasped and unclasped his hands in his nervous condition. 'But when I saw it was just a shoe box I thought that was a very odd thing to take into a church so I….. I looked inside it to see what it was. That's when I realised it couldn't been left behind by accident.'

'How many people were at the morning service, Reverend?' Hathaway asked, his hand poised over his notebook, pen in hand.

'Oh, let me see now, well, there must have been about…oooh, easily a dozen or so, I should think. Quite a reasonable turnout really, considering.'

'Considering what?' Lewis asked curiously. He wasn't aware there was any special alternative attraction taking place nearby which might have lured a few regular punters away from their otherwise traditional Monday morning service attendance.

'Considering the faithless times we live in, Inspector. We seldom achieve full capacity here, you know. There were times, many years ago, when there used to be standing room only. But, sadly, those heady days of religious worship and spiritual gratification are long since gone.'

'I know, Reverend. Do you know the names of all the people who attended the service? It might be very helpful. Surely it's possible one of them night have left this…..package behind?'

'Oh, I hardly believe any of my few regulars could possibly be involved in something as ….as gruesome and…and evil as this, Inspector.'

'Nevertheless we would really appreciate it if you could give us a list of names and addresses if possible of everyone whom you saw in the church this morning.'

'Well, I'll give you what information I can, of course. But there were a number of people whom I had never seen before at the service. Plus, of course, the church isn't locked during the day. Anyone could have come in after the service and left the box where I found it on one of the benches. I wouldn't necessarily have seen them. They might have entered while I was busy in the vestry.'

'Lewis nodded and left Hathaway to get those names and addresses from the vicar that he could supply. He needed some fresh air to clear his mind and some time to think on his own for a few minutes. This case was getting ever more complex and disturbing now that the Church had been dragged into the equation.

He wondered if it was a deliberate twist of black humour, an expression of irony on the killer's part to leave the latest missing body part in a religious environment, in a calculated exercise in mocking the impotence of God and the Church to prevent these sadistic, savage, unchristian atrocities from happening in this Godless world in which they all now lived. Could the killer have been a former devotee who had lost his way and given up on religion? Could he have changed his views on Christianity and religion to such an extent that he thought it appropriate to leave the heart he had so callously removed from Mr Wells' body in the place which he had now come to regard as the most heartless of all establishments? Or maybe the killer just happened to be passing and thought this quiet, inoffensive little church as good a place as any to dump the offending body part where no-one would be paying him any attention.

He needed to get back to the office and put this latest development up on the incident board, stand well back and have a good, hard, long look at it and see if any thoughts jumped out at him. He was far too close to the action at the moment to really get his brain into gear and his head around the puzzle. He needed to add this latest piece of the jigsaw to the rest of the pieces and try to make it fit with any of the others. Because he was convinced that what they were trying to solve was a real puzzle of the killer's making. None of it seemed to fit together yet but that was because they didn't have all the pieces and of course, more than that, they had absolutely no idea what the final finished picture looked like that they were trying to piece together. He felt that this killer, whoever it was, was sending them the pieces to the jigsaw one by one, as if he wanted then to solve the puzzle but not too quickly, not until either he had sated his need for sadistic fun or until they had worked out what the overall picture was supposed to be of. Either way Lewis was utterly determined to get to the bottom of it before the killer could claim any sort of victory over him. Lewis was a very sore loser.

**PART 5**

'For Christ's sake, Naoms! Why didn't you admit to the police it was your spliff?' Emily's whisper still carried all the emotion and force of a scream at the top of her voice. Naomi blushed and was almost moved to tears at the sight of Emily's terrified expression and wild, frightened, blinking eyes. She looked down at the floor in embarrassment as she frantically to conjure up some plausible explanation for her cowardice of half an hour earlier. She had been on the point of leaving for college but had felt the need to unburden herself of her guilt before leaving Emily to face the music should the cops return armed with indisputable proof while she was out.

'I…I don't know. I guess I was just so pissed off with that Inspector for having a go at you earlier that I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of getting one over me if I owned up. I didn't want to be made to look like a common criminal in front of all the others.'

'Naoms, nobody would have cared! We've all smoked plenty of pot over the years And taken other stuff as well, remember? As if we would have judged you because of a silly little thing like that!'

'I know, I'm sorry, Ems.' She fell into Emily's outstretched arms and hugged her girlfriend tightly, so much so that Emily could hardly breathe. 'Maybe there won't be enough DNA on the joint to make a positive match,' she said trying to cheer Emily as well as herself up by clutching at the thinnest of straws.

'Well, let's hope so. But I really do think it would be better if you went to the station and admitted it was your spliff before they come back here with all the evidence they need to take you down to the station and question you again.'

Deep down Naomi knew Emily was right. She pulled away from Emily and nodded sheepishly, looking thoroughly ashamed of her cowardly actions. Sounds of JJ and Lara from the bedroom next door made them break off from their secret conversation and go out onto the landing where the couple were getting ready to make tracks back home to Bristol. JJ was carrying downstairs their overnight bag which he insisted on doing, despite the fact that it wasn't terribly heavy, saying that a woman in her condition shouldn't be doing any unnecessary lifting at which pearls of wisdom Lara groaned in sufferance.

'JJ, it barely weighs anything. Are you going to be carrying my handbag all around Bristol as well when we get back home?'

'If I have to, then yes.' JJ shouted from the bottom of the stairs and Lara looked at the two girls in exasperation for moral support. 'Ahhh, bless him,' they said in unison and laughed when Lara threw her head up and rolled her eyes in despair at the lack of sympathy she was getting from the two of them.

She turned on her heels with a shrug and a sigh and started walking down the stairs, followed a few steps behind by the girls when all of a sudden she let out a terrifying scream as she seemed to completely lose her footing and began tumbling down the stairs at a rate of knots. She frantically attempted to grab hold of the banister to slow down her descent but to no avail as she bumped her way right down to the bottom, falling mostly on her bum and on her right hand side until she came to a halt with a sickening thud as she banged her head against the wall.

JJ had practically frozen in time through fear and blind panic when he heard Lara scream and although he reacted soon enough for most circumstances and dropped the bag on the floor by the door before tearing over towards the stairs, it was not quick enough to catch Lara before she had fallen right the way to the bottom. The whole incident must have lasted only a few seconds but after the initial screams and the sickening sounds of Lara's painful and terrifying plummet, the only sound that could be heard by JJ and the girls in the immediate aftermath of Lara's fall, audible even above her muffled groans of agony and shock, was a strange noise that wasn't obviously recognisable to begin with. However it soon became horrifyingly clear to the three of them what the sound must have been when they gathered around Lara at the bottom of the stairs and saw resting at the poor girl's feet a seemingly innocuous and innocent looking little rubber ball.

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	14. Chapter 14

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily's story on the murder of her boss appears on the front page of the local newspaper, much to the annoyance of Ch Spt Innocent who orders a chastised Lewis to go and read her the riot act. Naomi and Emily have reason to suspect one of their house guests has been helping themselves to their vodka on the sly. After giving Emily an official ticking off Lewis and Hathaway ask the gang to provide DNA samples for them to compare with the DNA traces left on the spliff found by the last victim's body. The heart removed by the killer is discovered in a shoe box in the church of Saint Saviour's. Lara accidentally trips over Harvey's ball left on the stairs and goes crashing right down to the bottom in front of a horrified JJ.

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: **

**PART 1**

Inspector Lewis was still sitting on the church garden wall deep in thought when Sgt Hathaway came out of the church carrying the shoe box and made his way over towards him.

'Sir, another one of those odd quotes has been found with the heart. It wasn't spotted at first by uniform. Our killer taped it to the inside lid of the box. I've given the constable concerned a bollocking for not spotting it and bringing it to our attention.' Hathaway handed Lewis the box from which the heart had been removed by the forensics team and watched in silence as Lewis turned over the lid and carefully read the quote which the killer had so thoughtfully left for them to ponder over.

'_Shot through the heart and you're to blame_

_ You give love a bad name'_

Lewis turned a puzzled expression on Sgt Hathaway who stood motionless and impassive beside him. 'What the bloody hell is this, Sergeant? It doesn't seem much like a literary quote to me. Got any ideas?'

Hathaway gave his guvnor a glance which might have been mistaken for one of pity if one didn't know that Hathaway wasn't the kind of man to take such liberties with his boss. 'Well, unless I'm very much mistaken, Sir, I believe they're lines from a popular rock classic from the 1980s sung by the American hard rock band Bon Jovi. I think they form part of the chorus from the song You Give Love a Bad Name.'

On hearing Hathaway's plausible explanation, delivered with due solemnity and conciseness, Lewis let out a sigh and nodded. 'Yes, I think I remember the song now. I'm sure Lynn, my daughter, used to play it quite a lot when she first started getting into music. Bon Jovi, yes I remember him. Big hair, big voice, a lot of noise? Was that the chap?'

'That's about right, Sir. Not one of your favourite groups, I take it, then?'

'Not after you've had to listen to the same songs played over and over again at full volume by your daughter in her bedroom while you can hardly hear yourself think downstairs in the living room trying to watch the television.'

Hathaway managed to suppress a smile as he pictured Lewis screaming up at his young teenage daughter from the bottom of the stairs to 'turn that bloody row down.' 'So, what do you think the significance of this quote might be, Sir? Could it be a direct reference to the victim?'

'I think that would be a good place to start, sergeant. Let's have a good look into his background, shall we? See if you can find out if he ever had any women trouble, cheated on his wife, that sort of thing. Speak to the staff down at the paper, friends who've known him a long time. I'll go and speak to his family again.'

'Yes, Sir,' said Hathaway. It was bog standard procedure but it made sense. 'Do you think there has to be a direct, close connection between the dead men?'

'Other than our killer, you mean? Quite possibly. Maybe they didn't actually know each other but we need to check up on that. But both of them have obviously done something to upset our guy and the sooner we find out what that might be the nearer we'll be to catching our man.'

**PART 2**

JJ was sitting in stunned silence flanked by the four girls on either side of him in the corridor outside the ward where Lara was being thoroughly examined that very moment by a doctor and two nurses. No-one was saying very much but everyone was frantic with worry and thinking the same single, simple thought – please, God, let Lara and the baby both be all right!'

Naomi's face was as white as a sheet and Emily was holding her hand so tightly to comfort her that it would have made her cry out in pain if her mind hadn't been completely numb, so absorbed was she with Lara's situation. 'It's all my fault. I'm so, so sorry, JJ,' said the blonde, blinking rapidly to hold back the tears from flooding.

'Don't be silly, Naomi,' replied JJ instantly, laying a reassuring hand on her arm. 'Of course it wasn't your fault. It was just a freak accident. It could have happened to any of us.'

'But** I** should have made sure Harvey's ball wasn't lying around on the stairs for someone to trip over. He's _my_ dog and I'm responsible for him.'

Emily saw that Naomi was biting her lip hard and that her eyes were beginning to well up and she moved quickly to reassure her troubled girlfriend further still. 'Naoms, Harvey's just a dog, he can't think like humans can. It's not like teaching a young child to put their toys away when they've finished playing with them.'

'I know, that's my point. I should have done the thinking for him. I should have checked that he hadn't left the ball lying around where anyone could have tripped over it and hurt themselves.'

'Please, Naomi, you mustn't blame yourself, 'pleaded JJ turning round to look at a plainly distraught Naomi who seemed hell-bent on torturing herself by taking full responsibility for Lara's terrifying fall. 'I don't and I can promise you Lara won't either when we get to see her. You MUST stop beating yourself up about it. It was an accident, pure and simple. Nobody meant it to happen. It was just terrible bad luck. On another day she would have missed the ball completely.'

Effy and Katie echoed support for JJ's magnanimous, heartfelt little speech and offered encouraging words that Lara was a tough old bird who would come through the ordeal just fine although how much they actually believed in what they were saying was open to debate. This was a moment for friends to rally round and offer unconditional support and encouragement, not for soul-searching or open, plain speaking. Effy toddled off in search of a drinks machine and returned some minutes later with teas and coffees for everyone. The hot beverages were devoid of taste and flavour as one might expect from an NHS instant drinks machine but nobody cared or, if they did, they didn't see the point in moaning about it in the circumstances.

'JJ,' said Katie, who had been largely silent during their vigil in the corridor, 'I've made a decision. If Lara and the baby are both OK….' but she was rudely interrupted by a forceful though discreet nudge from Effy next to her, who gave her a thunderous glare that left nothing to the imagination as to what message it was intended to convey. She hurriedly corrected herself, hoping JJ hadn't noticed her unintentional slip of the tongue. 'I mean _when_ Lara and the baby are given the all clear, then I would love to accept your offer for me to be the baby's godmother.'

'That's great news, Katie,' said JJ, smiling weakly for the first time since they had arrived at the hospital. 'Lara will be thrilled to hear that, the same as I am.' The other girls all offered Katie their somewhat muted congratulations before an uneasy silence descended on the group once again as they sipped at their hot drinks with screwed up faces and continued to wait impatiently and with increasing anxiety for news of Lara and the baby.

**PART 3**

Lewis was within a few minutes of the family home of the Oxford Herald's former chief editor when he got a call from Sgt Hathaway on his mobile. Pulling in to the side of the road as befitted a responsible copper with a mind for road safety he took the call. 'What is it, Hathaway?' he asked.

'You need to get back to the station now, Sir,' Hathaway's voice came over loud and clear in his ear. 'The killer's delivered his usual riddle about his next victim. You're not going to like this one, gov.'

'I haven't liked ANY of them, Hathaway,' said Lewis grimly. 'Do you mean you've already worked this one out?'

'It wasn't a particularly tricky one this time, Sir.'

When Lewis joined Hathaway in the incident room shortly after their brief conversation the inspector could see immediately what his sergeant meant on the phone. The note was exactly the same as the previous two, boldly and mockingly daring them to solve the riddle which this time even Lewis could work out fairly easily enough without needing to send Hathaway off to study it in private.

** I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE**

**SOMETHING BEGINNING WITH C**

** C_ _T _A_ _O_**

**THIS SHOULDN'T BE TOO DIFFICULT, EVEN FOR A POLICEMAN!**

** I BET IT BRINGS A TEAR TO YOUR EYE, DOESN'T IT?**

'Oh my God!' said Lewis after staring at the clue for a few seconds. 'It can only be one thing, can't it? We've had decapitation, then disembowelment and now we've got a castration to look forward to!'

Hathaway nodded pensively as he took the note back from his boss. 'I don't see how it can be anything else.' He proceeded to add the word 'castration' onto the case board and stood back alongside DI Lewis as the pair of detectives carefully contemplated the detailed sequence of events that they had marked up on the board since the beginning of their investigation.

'I wonder if…..' began Hathaway before breaking off and moving forward to draw a few things on the board while Lewis observed him with interest. 'What is it, Hathaway? Has something come to you?'

Hathaway shook his head. 'No, not exactly, Sir, it's merely an observation.' He stood back and allowed Lewis to see what he had drawn which was nothing more complicated than a couple of arrows and lines connecting different facts about the case. As Lewis looked blankly at the board Hathaway proceeded to elucidate.

'The head of our first victim was removed from his body and sent by the killer to the Oxford Herald where our second victim worked. The heart of our second victim was removed from his body and left at the church of Saint Saviour's by our killer.'

Lewis stared hard at the lines that Hathaway had drawn on the board between the first and second victims, connecting the various organs removed, the places where the victims worked and the places where the organs eventually turned up. 'So, are you saying the killer deliberately leaves the body part he removed from his last victim at the place where his next victim works as… what…some kind of warning about where he's going to strike next?'

Hathaway shrugged his shoulders. 'I don't know, Sir. It's just a theory.'

'But if you're right, that means that our next victim would have to be someone who works at the church of Saint Saviour's?'

'That would be the logical conclusion to draw, Sir, yes.' Lewis looked at Hathaway and not for the first time wished his sergeant wouldn't speak in such pompous, clinical and emotionally detached tones with his constant fascination for logic. He was beginning to sound more like Mr Spock out of Star Trek with every investigation.

'Well, we'd better get back over to the church right away then, hadn't we?' said Lewis, making for the incident room door without any further ado. 'The Reverend Christopher Charles has got to be the prime suspect for being our killer's next victim.'

Lewis barked out instructions to the other junior members of his murder team to find out chapter and verse about the reverend before he and Hathaway left the room with considerable urgency. And yet Lewis had almost the hint of a skip in his step for the first time since the investigation began. This could be their first chance to be ahead of the killer and prevent a death from happening and he was determined they shouldn't let the opportunity slip from their grasp. They would have to get their skates on but it occurred to Lewis that the killer might have made the schoolboy mistake of over-confidence and revealing his hand a bit too early.

**PART 4**

'We think Lara and the baby are both going to be okay,' said the doctor to JJ and the girls in the hospital corridor. The tearful sighs and gasps of relief that immediately broke out amongst the gang spoke volumes about the dreadful anxiety that they had been suffering during the course of their impatient wait for any news.

'She was very lucky, really,' added the doctor. 'She only suffered minor cuts and bruises considering the heavy tumble she took. All our tests and scans so far indicate that the baby hasn't suffered any visible damage. However,' and as he mentioned the fatal word the joyous celebrations and group hug came to a sudden halt as five pairs of eyes swivelled round to stare at him, five sets of mouths wide open, hardly daring to breathe, 'I do want to keep Lara in for a couple of days to keep her under close and constant observation. If her condition worsens we need to be on the spot to do whatever is necessary.'

A very relieved JJ nodded gratefully and asked the doctor if he could go in and see Lara to which the doctor gave his consent but only for five minutes. 'You mustn't tire her out, Mr Jones,' he explained. 'She needs lots of rest. She's had quite a shock and needs plenty of recovery time.'

The others told JJ that they would leave him to be alone with Lara and asked him to give her their love and tell her to take it easy, that they were all thinking of her and would come back and visit her soon. Once they had got back home Katie went straight upstairs, muttering some excuse about needing a lie down what with all the stress and worry of the morning. This highly unlikely explanation caused Naomi to exchange puzzled looks with Emily but not utter a word. Effy went off to the kitchen to put the kettle on, claiming wryly that they could all probably do with a decent cup of coffee to take away the awful taste of the hospital drinks.

'I'm going up to have a word with Katie,' said Emily to Naomi with a heavy sigh. 'There's definitely something not quite right with her. She's been acting really weird ever since she got here, you know.'

'Rather you than me, babes,' said Naomi wincing sympathetically. 'Be careful what you say or she just might bite your head off. Are you sure this is the right time to talk to her. It has been rather stressful today, after all. She _may_ genuinely be emotionally worn out.'

'Yeah, but that doesn't explain the way she's been over the weekend, does it, Naoms? I need to get to the bottom of it right now, before she decides to go back to Bristol. If she's in any trouble, I want to know what it is. I want to help her. She is my sister and I'm worried about her.'

'How can two sisters, how can twins, for fuck's sake, be so completely different?' Naomi wondered for the nth time and thanked the Lord that she had had the good sense and taste to fall hopelessly in love with the right sister, with the normal one. She wished Emily good luck and watched as the redhead went up the stairs and disappeared from view.

When Emily got to the spare bedroom door she paused for a moment, took a deep breath as if to summon up the courage required to do something unpleasant but necessary and knocked on the door. 'Katie, it's me, Em. Can I come in and talk to you for a minute?'

'I'm feeling fucking knackered, Emily. I just want to chill out on my own, okay?' The tone of her reply suggested a fair degree of irritability but Emily was not to be deterred easily this time. She was determined to find out was what was upsetting her sister and making her swing so unpredictably and violently from one extreme mood to another.

'Please, Katie. I'm worried about you. I just want us to sit down and have a quiet chat. If you're in any trouble then I want to help.'

'Oh for God's sake, leave me alone, Emily! You never let it rest, do you? Just butt out and mind your own business!' Those cruel, harsh words really hit home and Emily stifled a sob and almost stamped her feet in sheer frustration and misery at the sound of her twin sister, to whom she had been so close for the best part of her life, now treating her like some busybody stranger, poking her nose in where it wasn't wanted. This wasn't the Katie she knew and loved, despite their occasional differences and rows in the past about her love life, Naomi and the whole subject of her sexuality. She decided she wasn't going to take no for an answer and to hell with the consequences. She opened the door and flounced into the room, catching Katie totally unawares. Her twin was in the middle of knocking back a swig from a bottle which Emily correctly assumed didn't contain water whilst she was holding her mobile in the other hand..

On being so unexpectedly disturbed in flagrante delicto, Katie almost choked on the mouthful of vodka she was swallowing and involuntarily spat out the liquid and coughed violently as she desperately gasped for breath and tried to recover from the shock of Emily bursting in on her like that. 'Who the fuck said you could come in?' she screamed at her sister once she had got her breath back as she frantically tried to hide the bottle under the duvet, an instinctive reaction, no doubt, but one that was utterly pointless since Emily had already seen her drinking from it..

'Why are you drinking in secret, Katie?' asked a bewildered Emily as she closed the door behind her and approached the bed, intending to sit down next to her sister.

'Since when did you think it was okay to walk in on people in their bedroom?' shouted a furious Katie whose face had turned bright red with embarrassment but who was trying to conceal her shame with a show of righteous indignation. 'Or is that something you picked up from Naomi?'

Emily looked at Katie with a mixture of sadness and helplessness. 'It was you who took all the vodka from the bottle yesterday, wasn't it? Why did you do it? You only had to ask. We wouldn't have minded. Why are you drinking in secret? Why are you drinking so much?'

Katie fell silent and resolutely stared down at the bed, refusing to look Emily in the eyes. 'Are you in trouble, Katie? Are you miserable and unhappy at home? Is that what it is? Please tell me! I'm so worried about you. I want to help.'

'Well, you can't help! Okay? Just leave me alone, all right? I'll sort it out myself.'

'Sort what out?' Emily pounced on the one bit of information that her sister had unintentionally let slip out and was now cursing herself for her clumsiness. 'So, you **are** in trouble, I knew it! What's happened? Has your fella been screwing around? Is that it? Just dump the stupid tosser if he's mucking you about. He's not worth it.'

'It's nothing to do with him. I dumped the arsehole last week,' said Katie with an angry scowl.

'Okay, good. So what is it that's making you so unhappy and driving you to drink? It _is _driving you to drink, isn't it, whatever it is? Is it something to do with work? You said last time we spoke that everything was going really well there.'

'I'm not going to answer any more questions, Emily!' cried Katie getting up off the bed and stomping across the room.

'What do you mean? You haven't answered _any_ so far!' pointed out Emily quite correctly although it probably wasn't the wisest response and she regretted it the second it had come out. Katie glared furiously at her sister in a manner which frightened Emily with its vehemence and ferocity. But before Emily could apologise profusely and beg her to sit back down and carry on talking Katie had picked up her handbag from the chair where she had put it down earlier, stormed out of the bedroom and ran down the stairs. Emily was momentarily stunned but soon recovered and followed after Katie, pleading with her not to go off like that but her sister had already reached the front door and opened it, flying off into the afternoon sunshine by the time Emily had reached the hallway.

Naomi, who had sat and watched startled and bemused as a seething Katie flew past her and out of the house, came out of the living room and over towards a distraught Emily whom she gathered up in her arms to give her a big sympathetic hug. 'I take it she's not ready yet to tell you what's bothering her, then?' and she shook her head slowly and rolled her eyes in disbelief as she whispered comforting words to Emily who was now crying miserably on her shoulder.

**PART 5**

JJ kissed a woozy and exhausted Lara goodbye, promising he would be back to visit her and the baby again as soon as the nurse would allow it, before he quietly left the ward, turning round at the door to wave a final goodbye to her. He made his way to the entrance of the hospital, not without some difficulty, and was relieved to walk out into the fresh air of a pleasant early summer's afternoon. He had felt he was choking inside the hospital, his head had been spinning and he had started getting the shakes again which he hadn't experienced at all ever since he had settled down to live with Lara. He assumed these nervous attacks of anxiety, stress and breathlessness which had suddenly over whelmed him in the hospital were the result of the shock he had felt at Lara's accident. He stood outside the entrance, taking some deep breaths and repeating out loud over and over that Lara and the baby were going to be fine, there was nothing to worry about and that she was in the best place possible for her health and that of the baby.

This odd but strangely comforting ritual seemed to do the trick despite inevitably attracting some very peculiar looks from people as they passed by him into and out of the hospital. He felt sufficiently calm and composed to begin to make his way back to Emily and Naomi's. He was fully expecting the girls to smother him with emotional support and fuss the hell out of him until Lara's safe return and in one sense he was quite looking forward to basking in their attentions. He also wanted to see Harvey again and make a big fuss of him to reassure a still mortified Naomi that he didn't blame either her or the puppy in any way for Lara's unfortunate trip down the stairs.

He had barely reached the main road when his mobile rang and he saw instantly it was Cook calling. He hesitated to take the call, wondering if in his current preoccupied state of mind he was emotionally ready for a heavy and undoubtedly stressful conversation with Cook but decided to take the risk. Cook would simply keep ringing in any case until he had worn JJ down into taking the call.

'Cook? Where the hell are you? You do know half the Thames Valley police force is out looking for you right now, don't you?'

'Of course I do, JJ. I've spent the last twenty-four hours doing nothing else but give them the slip.'

'So where are you now?' JJ prayed Cook wasn't planning on turning up at the house. His head was already in danger of spinning out of control. He didn't think he could cope with Cook showing up and doubtless asking his old, much put-upon mate to do him a small favour like aiding and abetting an escaped prisoner or assisting in harbouring a wanted criminal. He was quite resigned to Cook throwing his life away in an endless procession of dubious or downright criminal activities but he was damned if he was going to put at risk his own freedom and a blissful life with Lara and their hopefully soon to be expanded family

'On a need to know basis, JJ, me old fruit, you don't need to know that. The less you know, the less you can blurt out to the cops if they start questioning you. I presume they _have _spoken to you all about me, haven't they?'

'Um…yes, well, they asked us a few questions about you after you did your disappearing act on Saturday night, of course. What do you mean 'the less I can blurt out to the cops'? I would never grass on you, Cook! What sort of friend do you think I am?' JJ felt rather insulted and disappointed about Cook's insinuation that he would spill the beans on him to the police.

'A good and loyal friend, Jaykins, but let's face it, you're not the smartest tool in the box when it comes to pulling the wool over a copper's eyes. They'd have you singing like a canary in no time without you even realising you'd given the game away.'

JJ fell silent as he thought over Cook's reply. He was probably right. JJ was smart and clever and intelligent, even JJ himself would have been modestly compelled to acknowledge that fact. But he wasn't street smart, he wasn't well versed in the nasty, underhand, deceitful tricks of the trade plied by your average Plod. Cook was probably right to suspect JJ would be like putty in the hands of an experienced old copper like DI Lewis or a sharp, young whippersnapper like DS Hathaway.

'OK, it's a fair point, Cook. So why are you calling me? Why haven't you got the hell out of Oxford? This is not a safe place for you, Cook'

'I know but I need to see Effy and she's still here, isn't she?'

'So why not call _her_? Why drag _me_ into whatever it is you want with Effy?' JJ's voice shot up a couple of octaves and his hands began to feel clammy as he got very nervous about what Cook was going to ask him to do. 'I've got enough to worry about as it is without getting involved in any of your madcap plans.'

When Cook asked JJ what he meant by that JJ was forced into a corner from which he couldn't wriggle out. He quickly told Cook the news about Lara's accident and was gratified that Cook did sound extremely concerned for 'his mate's bird' as he charmingly put it. 'Look, you've nothing to worry about, JJ. I'm not going to ask you to lie to the police or anything like that, I promise you. Just send me a text to let me know where Effy is this evening, that's all. I need to get her on her own for a short while. I've got something important to tell her but I can't do it if that lanky copper's going to be sniffing around her the whole time.'

JJ breathed a sigh of relief that Cook had no intention in involving him in anything more dangerous than a few harmless text messages. He didn't like the idea of ratting on Effy but if that was what it would take to get Cook off his back at this difficult time in his life and precipitate his departure from Oxford where the whole police force were hunting him down, then it seemed a small price to pay. He readily agreed and Cook duly hung up on him with a cursory word of thanks.

**PART 6**

DI Lewis let out a cry of annoyance and frustration when they arrived at Saint Saviour's to be told by the churchwarden, Simon Harvey that the Reverend Christopher Charles had long since departed.

'Is there anything I can do to help?' the warden asked, eager to be of assistance.

'Have you any idea where the Reverend might have gone? Did he say anything to you before he left?' Hathaway chipped in as his eyes furtively looked around the church for any signs of life.

'I'm afraid not, Sergeant. The Reverend often takes himself off in the middle of the day without saying a word as to where he's going. He's a bit of a maverick, you see, an eccentric, if you like. He'll turn up sooner or later, you'll see.'

'Well, when he does could you get him to contact me at the station straight away, please. It's most urgent that we speak to him as soon as possible.' Lewis handed the churchwarden one of his cards and thanked him for his help. When they got outside the church Hathaway looked across at his boss whom he could see was pissed off. 'Bit of a coincidence that the Reverend has disappeared so soon after we interviewed him, isn't it, Sir?'

'I don't like coincidences, Hathaway. You should know that by now. Get uniform on to it, will you. I want him found. Tell them to turn the city inside out if they have to but find him - before our killer gets to him first.'

Hathaway got on to the phone immediately as they made their way back to the car and instructed a full police alert for the Reverend Charles, giving a full description of the wandering clergyman. He chatted away for a minute or two more, his face turning grimly solemn at one point as he listened intently to the information being passed on to him by the team in the office before he hung up and stared hard at the ground as he and Lewis reached the car.

'Sir, we've uncovered some information about the guy who did a runner after the party, James Cook.'

'How come we still haven't found him, Hathaway? He can't have vanished off the face of the earth! We need to speak to him. Get some more men on to it! What have they turned up on him, then?'

'Apparently he's got a record back in Bristol. In fact, he was serving time for assault and battery four or five years ago when he escaped from prison. He hasn't been seen since. He's still technically on Bristol's wanted list.'

'Until he turns up uninvited out of the blue at the party on Saturday during which one of the guests ends up being murdered! I knew there was something not quite right about him. That explains why he scarpered the minute we were called to attend the murder scene.'

Hathaway nodded. He had suspected this guy Cook might be a bit of a tearaway from the short acquaintance he had made of him at the party and from the snatches of conversation he had heard him exchange with Effy that night. But it wasn't the news about Cook that was making him feel uncomfortable right then. It was the second piece of information that he had just been given and which he was duty bound to pass on to DI Lewis that was causing him such concern and embarrassment.

'There's something else, Sir. We've had a report of a stolen car sent over to us from Bristol Constabulary.'

Lewis stared at Hathaway with furrowed brows and screwed up face. 'What the hell do we want with a stolen car report, Sergeant? We're dealing with a murder enquiry, man! Get Traffic to look into it.'

'I'm afraid it is relevant to our enquiry, Sir. The man who reported his car missing claims it was stolen a few days ago by his girlfriend, a Miss Elizabeth Stonem.'

Lewis raised an eyebrow and stared at Hathaway very intently but his sergeant remained impressively impassive during the inspector's brief observation of his features. If he was feeling at all awkward and uncomfortable about giving him the news on this latest development then he was doing a very good job of hiding it. 'Well, I suppose we'd better pay Miss Stonem a visit and find out what she's playing at, hadn't we, Sergeant?'

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

Can I pass on my warm thanks to '**Anon**' and '**last chance2disco**' for their very complimentary reviews in the last few days- your support and comments are much appreciated as are those of everyone else who have given this story reviews so far. I hope you are continuing to enjoy the story, the pace of which will really start to hot up over the next few chapters!

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	15. Chapter 15

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Two lines from a Bon Jovi classic found with the editor's heart puzzle our detectives. The doctor tells JJ and the girls that he expects Lara and the baby will both be okay but that she will be kept in for observation. A third note sent to the police suggests that the murderer's next victim will suffer castration. Emily tries to persuade Katie to reveal what has turned her to drink but Katie reacts badly and runs off, leaving Emily upset and confused. Cook is lying low but contacts JJ to enlist his help in meeting up with Effy. Lewis and Hathaway learn that Cook has a record and that Effy's car has been reported stolen by her boyfriend.

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: **

**PART 1**

When Lewis and Hathaway rung the bell it was Effy who answered the door and stood on the doorstep, eyeing them up in her usual cool, serene manner.

'Inspector Lewis, Sgt Hathaway, good afternoon. What a pleasant surprise,' she said, affording them a warm welcoming smile. 'I'm afraid if you've come to talk to Emily or Naomi, they're out. Emily's at work and Naomi's gone to college. There's only me and Katie here and Katie was so off her face on Saturday night she'd be no bloody use to you at all.'

'It's actually you we've come to talk to, Miss Stonem,' said Lewis straight-faced. 'May we come in?'

Effy nodded meekly and stood aside to let them pass into the hallway, giving Hathaway a long, inquisitive look as he walked past her but she elicited no response from him and she felt a slight pang of concern at how serious and solemn he seemed. He almost appeared to avoid any prolonged eye contact with her and seemed more interested in the floor than in her face. Lewis led the way into the living room and the two coppers sat down at Effy's polite request as she closed the door and joined them on the sofas.

'So, how can I help you, Inspector?' she asked, her confident voice betraying none of her anxieties which Hathaway's demeanour hadn't failed to instil in her feverishly active mind.

'It's not actually anything to do with the murder on Saturday night, not directly anyway,' said Lewis, edging forward in his seat and fixing a stony gaze on Effy. 'We've come to inform you that the car that you drove up to Oxford in last week, the car that's currently sitting outside this house, has been reported stolen by a Mr. Samuel Jackson from Bristol who I understand is your boyfriend.'

Effy couldn't stop herself from bursting out laughing, even if it was only for a few brief seconds before she put her hand up to her mouth in a hurried gesture of apology at seemingly taking the matter so lightly. 'I'm sorry, inspector. I didn't mean to make fun of you like that. But are you serious? Has Sam really reported the car stolen?'

'He certainly has, Miss Stonem,' replied Lewis, his face seemingly set in stone which was showing no suggestion it might break out into a reassuring smile to confirm that he wasn't taking the matter seriously. 'And you're quite right, car theft is indeed no laughing matter. Not to me, at any rate. Theft is theft, no matter if the thief is well known to the victim.'

Effy stared hard at DI Lewis to try to detect if he was just putting on an act for the sake of police procedure and form but he appeared deadly serious and his tone and manner certainly brooked no argument. She quickly glanced across at Sgt Hathaway but he was resolutely staring down at the floor, lips tightly shut, eyes betraying a pain and embarrassment which suddenly made Effy feel very sorry for him. He must be hating this, she thought and perhaps, for that same reason, she wondered if Inspector Lewis might have been enjoying it all the more.

'Perhaps I should explain what happened, Inspector,' said Effy, deciding that a full and frank confession would be the simplest and least painful way of getting out of the spot of bother she temporarily found herself in. 'Sam and I had another one of our sadly all too frequent flaming rows last Tuesday night and I stormed out of his flat in a rage. I wanted to teach the self-absorbed, arrogant bastard a lesson. So I considered scratching his car to buggery at first or pouring paint all over it or something like that. But then I thought what would be even funnier and far more painful for him would be if I was to, shall we say, 'borrow' his car for a while, without technically asking his permission'

'Steal it, you mean?' said Lewis, impassively, his solemn expression not wavering for an instant.

'I never intended keeping it indefinitely,' continued Effy. 'I only meant to deprive him of one of his many pride and joys for a short while, knowing that he would go more frantic with worry over the loss of just one car than he would ever have gone over losing me.'

'So that explains why you drove away in his car last Tuesday night. What's it doing up here in Oxford nearly a week later?'

'Ah, well, yes that was a bit naughty of me, Inspector. I'd been invited here for the weekend by Emily for Naomi's surprise birthday party so I just thought why not go up a couple of days earlier? I knew he would work out that I had taken his stupid car but I never dreamt for one moment he would be such a complete prick and report it stolen to the police. I suppose that was his way of getting revenge.'

'I see,' said Lewis looking far from impressed with Effy's explanation. 'You seem to have a very relaxed attitude towards taking things that don't belong to you, Miss Stonem. Does that free and easy approach to breaking the law extend to murder as well?'

Effy stared at DI Lewis in stunned silence before managing a strained, incredulous 'What? Are you serious? Do you _really_ believe I might have killed Emily's boss last Saturday night?'

'Well, let's look at the facts, shall we, Miss Stonem? You don't have much of an alibi for the time when Mr Wells was killed, do you? On pretty much your own admission, you could have slipped out during the evening unnoticed and killed him before slipping back in again without anyone having even realised you had left the house. It was a party, the lights were low inside, it was dark outside, people were moving around the house and popping in and out of it all the time.'

'You could say the same thing about everyone else there, Inspector- including Sgt Hathaway, if we're being brutally honest.'

Lewis gave a half smile of acknowledgement that Effy did indeed have a point there. 'True. I haven't ruled my colleague out completely just yet,' he said with a wry grin. But all I know is that from the moment you arrived in Oxford last week, all of a sudden dead bodies and severed body parts have been turning up all over the place. Bit of a coincidence, don't you think?' He had stopped smiling now and was examining Effy's features very carefully for the smallest sign of unease or nervousness at the implication of his rather tenuous but factually accurate observation.

'Inspector, I can assure you I had no reason to kill Emily's boss or anyone else in Oxford for that matter. I'm afraid you will have to place far more faith in the power of coincidences because, believe me, that is all it is. A remarkable coincidence.'

DI Lewis looked across at Sgt Hathaway who had remained unobtrusively silent throughout his boss's exchanges with Effy. 'Well, what do you think we should do, Sgt? Shall we charge her with wilfully stealing her boyfriend's car? Or shall we just send her packing back home with a caution and a suggestion that the pair of them both grow up a bit and stop wasting valuable police time during a murder enquiry?'

Hathaway looked up at his boss with a half smile hovering across his lips. 'I think perhaps the latter, Sir. I don't believe Miss Stonem intended any real malice by taking her boyfriend's car…..' but he was quickly interrupted by Effy who corrected him.

'Ex-boyfriend, Sergeant Hathaway. If he thinks he's still seeing me when I get home, then he's an even bigger fool than I thought he was.'

'I think on this occasion, Sergeant, you may be right. Consider yourself escaping with a strong reprimand, Miss Stonem, provided of course that you return the car to Mr Jackson the minute you arrive back home. Incidentally, since you are still a suspect in this murder investigation, I would be very grateful if you **didn't** leave Oxford without checking with me first.'

'Of course, Inspector. In any case I won't be going back to Bristol just yet. I intend to stay here at least until Lara comes out of hospital.' Lewis and Hathaway's blank faces required an explanation from Effy about the morning's accident. She briefly filled them in on the events of that morning and they both expressed their sympathies in a polite and, she believed, genuinely heartfelt manner before they got up and took their leave. Hathaway gave Effy a ghost of a smile as he left and she made another secret gesture to him that she would call him later on which he acknowledged with a quick nod.

**PART 2**

'Congratulations, Emily. That was a very impressive piece you wrote, I must say.' Emily looked up from her computer and smiled gratefully at Andrew Grainger who had stopped by her desk on the way to get himself a drink.

'Thanks, Andrew. That's very nice of you. I just wish everyone else was as magnanimous and kind-hearted as you.' Emily couldn't stop herself from glancing surreptitiously over towards Sarah Hawkins and Peter Dixon who were deep in conversation at the other end of the office. Emily guessed they were probably talking about her and her first ever front page article, more than likely ripping it to pieces, she suspected, and speculating what favours Emily must have done for whom to get the paper's management team to give her the prestigious assignment of covering their own editor's grisly murder story.

Andrew followed Emily's eyes and snorted dismissively when he saw who she was looking across at. 'Oh, don't worry about those two. They never have a good word to say about anyone at the paper. It's nothing personal, I can assure you, my dear. They've rubbished my articles plenty of times over the years. It's water off a duck's back to me and you should take the same approach unless you want to tie yourself up in knots of anxiety and self-doubt.'

Emily let out a heavy sigh and nodded. 'I know, Andrew, but it's just so unnecessary. I mean, I wasn't expecting them to be jumping up and down for joy, for Christ's sake. I know Andrew would normally have covered this type of story but they could at least have said something to me, even it was just a couple of words but they've completely ignored me all morning.'

'Neither of them is worth losing a minute's sleep about, Emily. They're both sad, jealous, pathetic old has-beens who've always resented every bright young thing who's ever joined the paper. I mean, come on, ask yourself this: if they were really as good a pair of reporters as they think they are, how come they're still stuck working on a provincial newspaper like The Herald? Why haven't they gone on to bigger and better things with one of the nationals?'

Emily smiled in warm appreciation at Andrews's show of solidarity and support for the most junior member of the paper's journalistic staff. 'I guess they just love working here, Andrew. They're obviously not the ambitious types looking for the quickest way up the greasy pole to fame and fortune.'

'Yeah, right!' snorted Andrew as he picked up on Emily's heavy irony. He was about to ask her if she wanted a drink when they were interrupted by the new chief editor's secretary, Karen Brady who informed Emily that the boss wanted to see her right away. Emily gave a little gasp of surprise and looked at Andrew nervously but he sought to reassure her and dispel any notions she might have been tempted to form that she was going to be hauled over the coals for the article not being up to scratch.

When a pale faced Emily entered the chief editor's plush office with a considerable amount of trepidation her heart was thumping so loudly and at such a pace that she was sure her new boss must have been able hear it from behind her huge desk. Maybe she could and took immediate sympathy on her terrified underling as a result since Susie Peters got up out of her chair, came round her desk and invited Emily to join her on the two comfortable sofas which were situated in a sort of cosily furnished recess to the right of the door.

'Emily! Thanks for popping over. I just wanted to have a quick chat with you. Please do sit down.' Her warm, friendly tones and her genuine broad smile began to make Emily feel much more at ease as it seemed unlikely that these were the tactics of someone who was about to administer a private bollocking. Susie offered Emily tea which the redhead gratefully accepted as her mouth had gone horribly dry with nervous anticipation as to what was to follow.

The new chief editor was an immensely striking and impressive looking woman in her early forties, tall with long dark wavy shoulder length hair, beautifully sculpted cheek bones, a lightly tanned complexion and soft, kind green eyes which seemed to smile whenever her face lit up with a broad grin as it was doing at that moment. She was immaculately dressed in a smart business matching two piece jacket and knee length skirt and her high heeled shoes showed off a pair of legs to die for which even Emily couldn't help noticing and admiring, even for the briefest and most surreptitious of moments. She handed Emily her cup which the redhead accepted, straining desperately to control her hands and ensure they didn't start shaking and reveal her anxious state of mind.

'I just wanted a private word with you to congratulate you on this morning's lead story. I thought it was an extremely well written piece, especially for someone as young and inexperienced as you.'

Emily positively glowed inside and her chest swelled with pride and joy at her new boss's kind and generous compliments. She could feel herself blushing as she thanked Susie and was surprised to find she was almost embarrassed to look her in the eye for more than a second or two without averting her gaze and staring down at her teacup. 'I can't thank you enough for giving me the opportunity to cover the….story,' she said hesitating briefly as she nearly said the word murder but thought better of it. 'I don't mean just you,' she hastened to add, 'I want to thank the whole board for agreeing to let me write the article. I know it was a huge gamble so it can't have been an easy decision for them to make.'

'Oh, once I made my feelings plain, Emily, it was quite an easy decision in the end. It was unanimous in fact. You were the journalist on the spot, right in the thick of the action, so to speak. Who else was better placed to give the public the full story?'

Emily gasped on hearing Susie reveal that it had been she who had railroaded the rest of the board into agreeing to let her write the front page story. She didn't know how to react to that confession so she remained silent and concentrated on sipping her tea before glancing shyly up at Susie in curiosity as to where the conversation was going to turn to next.

'I know the brutal murder of my predecessor Christopher Wells has of course come as a huge shock to all of us at the paper. He was a much respected and very dear colleague to all of us and he will be greatly missed. I'm sure the next few days are bound to very difficult for all of us. But, as Christopher himself would have said, the show must go on and as one door closes another one often opens. So it is here at the Oxford Herald, Emily.'

Emily nodded without being exactly sure who or what she was referring to but judging that this was one of those occasions when it would be wiser only to speak when she was spoken to.

'I know that Mr Wells didn't treat you very well, Emily' continued Susie as she leaned forward slightly and spoke in a soft, measured, kindly manner which made Emily relax and feel more comfortable, 'and I can only apologise for that. I was never in agreement with his refusal to assign you onto anything other than the most trivial and unchallenging of stories. It seemed to me he was shamefully wasting the undoubted talent and natural writing ability which I could see you had.'

'That's very kind of you to say so, Miss Peters,' said Emily, blushing again and smiling from ear to ear, so chuffed and amazed was she to have all this unexpected praise showered on her from on high. 'But I wouldn't want you to think I was complaining about how I've been treated here. I know that as a junior reporter I have to start at the bottom and learn the ropes. Mr Wells was probably quite right not to let me loose on anything really big.'

'Now you're being far too modest, Emily,' smiled Susie as she gently brushed away a few stray strands of hair that had fallen down over her eyes. 'You may be surprised to hear I've had my eye on you for some time. I think you've got great potential to be a first rate journalist. I can see you going a long way in the business, I really can – **if** you keep working hard, listen to all the right people and above all have faith in your natural writing ability. If you can do all that then I will make it my personal business to ensure you are given every opportunity to shine at this paper. Beautiful, bright, clever young people like you are the future of this industry, Emily, not ugly, bitter and twisted old soaks like Sarah Hawkins and Peter Dixon.'

At the conclusion of that rousing little speech which filled Emily's fast beating heart with barely concealed pride and joy Susie Peters stood up to indicate that their cosy little tete-a–tete had come to an end. Emily put down her empty cup and got to her feet, uncertain as to what to say on leaving. She didn't just want to repeat rather lamely her previous thanks for all the kind things her new boss had said about her but she was desperate to say something to show how grateful she was for this unexpected yet thrilling vote of confidence. 'I promise I… I won't let you down, Miss Peters,' she began somewhat diffidently but her boss interrupted her with a warm smile.

'_Susie_, please, I insist. We're not at school here, Emily. I don't want you to see me as your teacher but rather your mentor, your confidante. You are going to be my rising new star and I shall be your guide. I think we are going to make a wonderful team in the next few years. Would you like that?'

Emily gasped and nodded furiously as she followed Susie to the door, unaware perhaps that she was in danger of grinning inanely like a Cheshire Cat. She felt powerless to hide her feelings of sheer unadulterated delight and relief that at last someone was in charge, someone with real power and influence at the paper who had _her_ best interests at heart and who would take her seriously at long last as a proper reporter. As she said goodbye and returned Susie's beautiful smile, she almost skipped out of her office. She felt she had just experienced one of the biggest highs of her life and couldn't wait to get back home at the end of the day and tell Naomi all about it.

She had hardly been back at her desk a minute when Andrew came over to her, perched on the end of her desk and whispered 'Well, how did it go with the new big boss? Spill!'

'Oh My God, Andrew! She was like totally amazing! She is sooo lovely. She said she would keep a close eye on me and make sure I get every opportunity to make a name for myself here. She was really kind and generous. She said she loved my article.'

Andrew Grainger smiled and patted Emily affectionately on the arm 'There you are! See, I told you there was nothing to worry about.'

'She had a right old go at Mr Wells, though. She said she never agreed with him giving me all the boring shit stuff to cover. I was quite shocked actually. I didn't know what to say when she came out with that.'

'My dear, dear innocent child! Didn't you know she and Christopher absolutely loathed each other?'

Emily's eyes widened in total surprise and she let out an involuntary cry of astonishment that immediately made her look round to see if anyone had heard it and wondered what was going on but everyone was fully engrossed in their own affairs. 'No way!' she whispered as Andrew put a finger up to his lips.

.'Oh yes,' he nodded. 'In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if she did in the miserable old bastard herself. She's always had her eye on his job. She often told her closest friends on the paper when she'd had a few drinks that she knew she could do a much better job than him and why didn't the dirty old man bugger off and go and work for a publication that was _more suited to his particular talents and interests_.'

Emily's goggle-eyed expression positively begged for Andrew to expand on his cryptic comments but before she could get him to continue someone called his name and he had shot off leaving behind a very intrigued and curious Emily itching to know the full story about the new boss and the old one.

**PART 3**

Hathaway sat down in the chair facing Professor Eleanor Greaves' desk and took out his notebook and a pen while he patiently waited for her to finish writing. 'Okay, Sergeant, how can I help you? Is this about last Saturday night?' Hathaway gave a cursory nod but Professor Greaves continued before he could ask his first question. 'I was so shocked when I read about what happened to that poor man who was at the party. Although I have to admit I thought Emily's story was wonderfully well written. I think she shows great promise as a journalist. I imagine Naomi is absolutely thrilled for her.'

'I'm sure she is, Professor but I haven't come here to debate Miss Fitch's qualities as a journalist.'

'No, I'm sure you haven't. Please forgive me, sergeant. What did you want to see me about?'

'I need to ask you about the events of Saturday night. Do you remember Mr Wells leaving the party?'

'Yes, very well, as it happens. I had just helped poor Katie upstairs and put her in one of the bedrooms to sleep things off. She had got extremely drunk and was threatening to get a bit out of control. I couldn't find Emily or Naomi so I took it upon myself to take her upstairs. I was just coming down when I met Emily and that man – I think he was her boss, wasn't he – in the hallway.'

'What time was this, then?' asked Hathaway, scribbling away furiously in his notebook.

'Oh, I don't know exactly. Not that late, I think. Probably around nine thirty or maybe ten o'clock.'

'Please go on.'

'Um, well now, let me see, this Mr Wells said goodbye to Emily and thanked her for inviting him, I let him out of the door and went back to the party while Emily went upstairs to see how Katie was.'

The professor's account appeared to tie in precisely with Emily's own account, not that he would have expected anything different. They were the only two people at the party whose whereabouts at the time of the victim's departure could be corroborated with any degree of certainty. Yes, they could have made the whole thing up and given each other an alibi but he thought that highly unlikely. Their killer definitely worked alone and was absolutely not a team player.

'And after Mr Wells left?' Hathaway asked, for the sake of form.

I spent the rest of the evening dancing, chatting and generally having a great time getting pissed along with everyone else.'

'Can anyone vouch for your movements during that time?'

'Um, yes, I think so. I seem to recall spending most of the rest of the evening with Naomi, Emily and some of the other students from the college, except for maybe a minute or two when I had to go to the bathroom.'

'What time did you leave the party?'

'Oh, come now, Sergeant, surely you can verify that yourself? I came over and said goodbye to you…and your young lady too.'

'She's not my young lady, Professor,' Hathaway was quick to correct her. _A bit too quick_, thought Eleanor as she calmly yet with increasing fascination studied the tall, dashing detective sitting opposite her. _Methinks the gentleman doth protest too much. '_Have you broken the news to her yet, sergeant? I imagine that might come as quite a disappointment to her,' said Eleanor who had a wicked, mischievous sense of humour but also a very keen eye for human relationships. She had observed the sergeant with Effy on and off throughout the course of the evening and had been struck by how comfortable and happy the two of them appeared in each other's company. True, superficially they might have appeared to make an unlikely couple but Eleanor had detected a genuine warmth between them and a mutual fascination with each other's personalities which she suspected led them to seek refuge and solace with one another from whatever had presumably caused them pain and unhappiness in their relationships before.

Hathaway gave a wry smile and manfully refused to rise to the bait which Eleanor had so tantalisingly put out there for him to feed on. 'Yes, I do remember you saying goodbye, Professor but I can't say I particularly noticed the time.'

'It would have been around midnight, Sergeant. I couldn't really stay any later, much as I would have liked to, as I had to leave early the next morning. I was driving over to my sister's in Gloucester for the day and I wanted to make sure I had sobered up enough before the journey.'

'How did you get home?'

'I walked, Sergeant. It only took me half an hour and the fresh air did my head the world of good, I can tell you. I slept like a log when I got back.'

Hathaway completed his notes and looked back up at Professor Greaves, a satisfied look on his face. 'Did you see anyone leave the house between the time Mr Wells left and the time you went home?'

Eleanor Greaves gave the matter her most serious consideration for a few moments before replying with an apologetic shake of the head. 'I really can't be sure, I'm afraid. I mean, it was so loud and dark downstairs, the music was pumping away, everyone was gradually getting more and more inebriated and we were all just concentrating on enjoying ourselves. I wasn't clocking everyone's movements at all. I suppose anyone could have popped out for five minutes and not have been seen or missed.'

Hathaway nodded and decided to conclude the questions for now as there seemed little else he could get from her that might prove useful. 'There's just one more thing before I go, Professor. Do you mind giving us a DNA sample for elimination purposes?'

'Certainly, Sergeant. Why? Did you actually find some DNA evidence on the body, then?'

'No, but we have got some DNA from a joint that was found near the body. We're asking everyone who was at the party to volunteer a sample for matching purposes.'

'Isn't it rather unlikely that your murderer would have been too clever and careful not to have left any DNA on the victim's body but stupid and careless enough to have left some on a joint that he smoked and then left at the scene?'

Hathaway was impressed by Professor Greaves' cool and logical argument but merely nodded and acknowledged that she may have had a point but pointed out that the police couldn't afford to assume anything in a murder enquiry. Nonetheless she willingly subjected herself to Hathaway's swab and calmly accepted the tawdry imposition of a man poking around in her mouth with good grace. Hathaway was just completing his task when they heard an urgent knock at the door and the door opened to reveal Naomi in the doorway. The blonde student gave a start and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Hathaway standing over by the desk and leaning over the seated professor's face in a most suggestive and incriminating pose.

'It's alright, Naomi, it's not as bad as it probably looks,' laughed Professor Greaves, noticing Naomi's horrified expression and frozen stance. 'The sergeant's just been taking a DNA sample for the police's investigation. You haven't caught us out red-handed in a secret romantic clinch.'

Naomi recovered her customary confidence and quickness of mind after this temporary jolt to her system to fire out a fitting riposte. 'I should hope not, Ellie. I'm sure Sgt. Hathaway has got more than enough on his hands as it is coping with Effy.'

Hathaway grimaced but forced a tactful smile at the two women who exchanged silent, meaningful looks as only two people who know each other very well can do. A minute later the detective thanked Professor Greaves for her time and was gone, leaving an anxious Naomi alone with her professor who had sensed that something was troubling her protégé and was desperate to offer her help in any way she could.

**PART 4**

DI Lewis was driving back to the station after having spent the last half hour talking to Christopher Wells' family and a most illuminating and instructive interview it had proved to be. Clearly the Oxford Herald's former chief editor was not going to be greatly missed by his widow and even his two teenage children had come across as more relieved by his sudden departure from their lives than saddened.

'He was a horrible, selfish, brute of a man, Inspector and I'm not going to pretend that I'm sorry he's dead,' Mrs Caroline Wells had admitted to him without any shame or embarrassment. 'I've been praying for years something like this would happen and now that it has the only feelings I have ones of relief and happiness that he's finally out of our lives for good.'

When prompted by Lewis to go into further details as to why she had detested her husband so much she spat out a long list of offences, including serial adultery, occasional violent acts against both her and the children and a complete lack of interest in, let alone love for her and their family. When Lewis naturally asked Mrs Wells where she was last Saturday night she appeared wholly unconcerned that she had no alibi for the evening. 'I was here watching television, Inspector.'

'Can anyone confirm that? Your children, perhaps?' he asked, turning to the son and daughter, both in their mid-teens, who were sitting quietly on the other sofa and had not uttered a word since Lewis had entered the house. The children shook their heads and their mother explained on their behalf as they seemed unwilling or incapable of speaking up for themselves.

'They were both out in town with their friends, Inspector. It was a Saturday night, after all. How many teenagers do you know who would choose to spend their precious Saturday nights at home with their parents watching the TV?'

Lewis smiled at an all too familiar scenario from his dim and distant past when he still had a family at home. 'Not many, I guess. My two certainly didn't when they were teenagers.'

'Well, there you are, Inspector. You can see the difficult position I am in. I have no alibi and I wanted my obnoxious husband dead. I expect you'll be wanting to drag me down to the station and charge me straight away.'

Lewis found the Merry Widow's dry sense of humour quite entertaining in the circumstances and struggled to keep a straight face and maintain a professional detachment as befits a murder enquiry but he couldn't help admiring her honesty. 'Well, not just yet, Mrs Wells. Not unless we turn up some real hard evidence against you.'

'I'm very relieved to hear that, Inspector. After having endured so many long, unhappy, miserable years with my husband I was hoping to enjoy at least a few years of blissful happiness without him. My children and I have waited a long time for this moment. We want to make the most of it.'

The list of possible suspects seemed to be widening, thought Lewis as he drove, his eyes firmly fixed on the road even as his mind began wandering all over the investigation. Or at least one or two credible motives had come to their attention and not accompanied by seemingly unshakeable alibis. He wondered if the Reverend had finally been tracked down and was on the point of pulling in to make a quick phone call to the station to get a quick update when his phone rang. Ironically the call came from the station which had beaten him to it and they had news which sent a shiver up his spine and a suffocating feeling of failure and helplessness stuck in his throat. A body had been discovered at Saint Saviour's. He told the desk sergeant to contact Hathaway and tell him to meet him at the church which would take him about ten minutes to reach.

When he got there Hathaway was just pulling up in his car and the pair exchanged solemn looks as they made their way past the uniformed coppers at the entrance and into the church. They were swiftly informed that the body was in the vestry and had been discovered by the cleaner about a quarter of an hour ago.

'The Reverend Charles, I suppose,' said Lewis gloomily as they followed the uniformed sergeant over towards the vestry. 'I still can't believe we didn't pick up a single sighting of him this afternoon. Where the hell did he get to? Or did our killer abduct him, kill him and bring him back here to dump him?'

''There is another possibility, Sir,' ventured Hathaway a little uncertainly. 'Perhaps he never left the church at all.'

'What? Are you suggesting he was here all the time, already dead when we called round to speak to him? But that would make the churchwarden our prime suspect!'

'I realise that, Sir.'

'Dear God! We should have searched the place, Hathaway when we called round. We suspected his life might be in danger. The Chief Super will have out guts for garters for that.'

They entered the vestry and immediately saw the naked dead body of a man lying face down in the middle of the vestry. Two pools of blood were instantly visible on the floor, a small pool near his head where he had presumably been violently hit and a second, much larger pool, more like a pond than a pool really, which emanated from his groin. Lewis winced with revulsion at this second pool which could only mean one thing. The killer's last threat had not been an idle one.

'We'd better turn him over, Doc,' said Lewis to Laura Hobson who had been kneeling down alongside the body when Lewis and Hathaway entered, examining the corpse close up with rapt interest and attention. She alone of everyone present in the vestry seemed unaffected by the horrific violation that had clearly been perpetrated on the victim. Hobson nodded and waved to one of her assistants to help her in turning over the dead man. Seconds later the body had been turned over on his back to reveal precisely what Lewis and Hathaway had been expecting to see - a dead man in all respects except he was lacking two of the things which would normally identify him as being of the male species. It was an unappetising sight which would have turned even the strongest and most robust of stomachs. However it was not the absence of testicles which made Lewis and Hathaway stare in shock and bewilderment at the unfortunate eunuch. It was the undeniable fact that the face looking up at them with wide, staring eyes was not that of the Reverend Christopher Charles but that of Simon Harvey, the churchwarden.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

May I just say another quick word of thanks to a new anonymous reviewer Covertfan for his or her (!) review and kind words – once again they are very much appreciated.

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	16. Chapter 16

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Lewis issues Effy with a stern caution but decides not to charge her with stealing her ex-boyfriend's car whilst Hathaway looks on uncomfortably. Emily is called in to see her new female boss who congratulates her on her article and promises she will take her on as her protégé and champion her cause in future. Hathaway interviews Naomi's professor at college and takes a DNA sample from her at the very moment that Naomi walks in on them. The editor's wife tells Lewis her husband was an unpleasant bully and a womaniser. A castrated naked body is found in the vestry at the church but the two detectives are gobsmacked to see that the victim is not the missing Reverend Charles but the churchwarden.

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN: **

**PART 1**

'Please, Naoms, come clean about the joint and tell the police it was yours,' Emily begged her girlfriend whom she could see was starting to tie herself up in knots about the hole she had dug for herself.

'What if they see that as a reason to hold me on suspicion of murder and lock me up in the cells?' Naomi's overactive mind and vivid imagination was working furiously to conjure up all manner of scenarios which would lead to her instant arrest. Before she knew it, they might have forced a confession out of her for a crime she didn't commit. 'I mean I was the one who found the body, wasn't I? In their book that probably makes me the prime suspect.'

'This isn't an Agatha Christie novel and DI Lewis isn't anything like that dumb Chief Inspector Japp that Hercule Poirot always had to save from making a total arse of himself. This is real life and the police aren't complete idiots. If you go and see them and tell them you smoked the joint before you found the body, not while you were waiting to kill Mr Wells, I'm sure they'll believe you.'

Naomi didn't share Emily's touchingly admirable faith in the investigative skills of the average police force. To Naomi the cops were easily capable of choosing the soft option of seeking a quick result and an early conviction to bolster their appalling results-driven crime statistics. After all, hadn't she argued with the victim only an hour or two before the murder? Surely in their narrow-minded world that was all the evidence of motive they needed to press charges.

'I don't know, Em. Besides, if Sgt Hathaway was taking a sample from Eleanor this afternoon, that must mean they haven't been able to match my sample to the joint yet. Why would they be asking her if they had? It doesn't make sense. I'd rather keep quiet for now and pray to God they don't come back.'

Emily fell silent and the two girls sat in the living room, cuddling up to each other on the sofa without saying a word for a while. Emily didn't want an argument with Naomi. She always hated it when they rowed, which wasn't very often fortunately but it always made her feel sick to the stomach on the rare occasions when they did. She had enough on her mind as it was with a missing twin sister and Naomi's finely honed female intuition, added to her deep, almost telepathic understanding of Emily, alerted her to the suspicion that her girlfriend was troubled by another problem as well.

'She'll be back soon, babes, trust me,' she insisted, squeezing Emily's waist with her left arm and flashing the redhead one of her special smiles which coupled with bright, twinkling eyes would have normally caused Emily to go weak at the knees and make her heart do a couple of breathless somersaults. 'But if you want, I'll go out and see if I can find her for you.' Naomi couldn't think of anything she fancied doing less than spend her precious evening trying to track down a sulky, resentful Katie who would probably tell her to fuck off and mind her own business if she did find her but she would have swam through shark-infested waters if it would have put a smile on Emily's face for just a few seconds.

Emily was so tempted to say yes to Naomi's sweet and magnanimous offer but she knew it would in all probability be a fruitless task roaming the streets of Oxford hunting for Katie. She would come back in her own sweet time and Emily suspected she wouldn't thank the pair of them if they dragged her back kicking and screaming like a five year old kid. So she shook her head instead and cuddled up to Naomi closer to thank her for her offer.

'Let's leave her to come back of her own accord, shall we? Besides, I think we should try and cheer JJ up. He's still a bit worried about Lara even though the Doc said reckoned she'll be fine.'

'Okay,' said Naomi with a nod. 'How about the three of us go out for a few drinks, then? We'll try and make him smile and laugh and help him take his mind off Lara.'

The plan was agreed and when they went up to put it to him he was surprisingly amenable to the idea. They had feared he might just want to stay in and worry himself into a right old state on his own but it seemed he could see the sense in chilling out a bit. Lara had clearly told him not to shrink into his own little bubble of nervous anxiety but to allow the rest of the gang to raise his spirits which is exactly what Naomi and Emily had in mind for the evening.

**PART 2**

'Well, that's a bit of a turn up for the book, isn't it,' said DI Lewis with a grimace at Sgt. Hathaway as they stood aside while the lifeless and covered up body of Simon Harvey was being removed from the church. 'We've been trying to protect the wrong man all day. We wrongly assumed the Reverend would be our killer's next target. Any news on the Reverend?'

Hathaway shook his head. The disappearing cleric seemed to have vanished into thin air. 'You don't suppose the Reverend might actually be our man, do you, Sir? Or perhaps he's been killed as well and we just haven't come across his body yet.'

Lewis screwed up his face in a gesture of incredulity. 'I can't see that really, can you? Murdering a man on your own doorstep and then doing a runner immediately afterwards? It's all a bit obvious, isn't it?'

'So, what would a college lecturer, a newspaper editor and a churchwarden have in common?' Hathaway mused out loud as they started walking back to the car.

'I haven't got the foggiest idea right now but that's going to be your job tomorrow, sergeant. Find out everything you can about these three men, look for anything that might have linked them with each other. I know Oxford's a big place with all manner of things going on but there MUST be something that connects them to our killer. We just haven't dug deep enough so far but at least a third victim gives us a chance to widen the net a bit.'

'Maybe they had a shared interest, a hobby, a club they all belonged to,' suggested Hathaway, trying to remain positive and helpful at the end of a long and traumatic day at the office. 'Or perhaps they all used the same plumber, had the same doctor or….. bought life insurance from the same door to door salesman.'

'It could be anything like that. They might never have even met each other, they could have passed one another in the street and not known it but somehow they were all known to our killer and my guess is it was for the same reason. We just have to find out what that reason was.'

The sound of approaching footsteps made the two men swing round to see Dr Hobson walking towards them dressed in full shiny white forensic kit, her blonde hair shimmering in the late afternoon sunlight and cascading down to her shoulders. She smiled weakly at the two detectives as she came to join them to deliver her report on her initial findings. 'What have you got for us, Doc?' asked Lewis with an almost imperceptible twinkle in his eyes which always seemed to light up at the sight of Laura Hobson however grim and depressing the circumstances of their meetings on work business.

'That wasn't a pretty sight. But the castration was very skilfully done, I have to say. A nice job, I must admit.'

'So, our killer could be a surgeon or doctor, do you think?' asked Lewis his hopes rising a fraction as the prospect of narrowing down their field of suspects loomed encouragingly on the horizon.

'Not necessarily, I'm afraid. I'm certainly not in a position to confirm that your killer is definitely a medical man but I would hazard a guess he or she could have some personal knowledge of surgical procedures, at least. '

Lewis let out the tiniest of sighs of frustration but he quickly sought to reassure an apologetic Doctor Hobson that he wasn't blaming her for the lack of a positive lead in the case. 'Anything else we need to know at this stage?'

'Well, there's no evidence of any DNA so far but then I didn't expect to find any. There's been none found at any of the other crime scenes. Our killer has been remarkable careful in that respect.'

'And extremely inconsiderate to us,' remarked Hathaway with a pained expression,

'Was the blow to the back of the head the cause of death again?'

'It was,' Hobson confirmed as she walked with the detectives back to their cars. 'But this time the killer didn't bring his own weapon with him. He used one of the candlesticks in the church. We found one with traces of blood on it. I'm fairly certain we'll get a match to the victim's blood when we examine in back in the lab.'

'Interesting,' said Lewis thoughtfully, looking across at Hathaway. 'Why use something else this time? We still haven't found the murder weapon for the first two murders. Maybe this murder wasn't planned to happen when it did but the opportunity presented itself and our murderer improvised with the candlestick.'

'Or perhaps he did bring along a weapon as before but decided the candlestick would be a more fitting method of killing his victim.'

'What d'you mean, more fitting?' Lewis sounded rather dubious of his sergeant's on the hoof theory.

Hathaway shrugged his shoulders a little, indicating he hadn't thought his suggestion through too far. 'I don't know. Perhaps he decided it would be more ironic to kill a man of the church with something synonymous with the church. We know from his notes and messages our guy has a bit of a dry, dark sense of humour.'

'He's not making me laugh much,' said Lewis with a scowl. 'We have a different sense of humour in Newcastle.'

'Well, clearly your man must be a southerner, Inspector,' said Hobson with a wink over towards Hathaway. 'There you go, we've already narrowed down the list of possible suspects to a much more manageable number. Rule out anyone comes from north of Watford or who don't have a keen sense of irony in their DNA.'

Lewis looked sharply at Hobson whose twinkling eyes and slightly upturned quivering lips displayed all the signs of someone gently taking the piss out of a close friend in an attempt to lighten the mood on what would otherwise have been a very gloomy, depressing conversation. The inspector gave a broad grin as it dawned on him that Laura was affectionately poking fun at him and his well established northern proclivities. 'Okay, point taken,' he admitted with an admirable honesty as the doctor opened the door to her car and bade the two coppers a cheery farewell.

'I suppose I'd better go and break the news to Mr Harvey's nearest relative,' he said with a note of weary resignation. 'Who did you say she was- a sister?'

'That's right, Sir,' nodded Hathaway, checking in his notebook. 'Mrs Sonia Harvey. She lives about ten miles outside Oxford. No other family members alive to speak of apparently, except a distant cousin up in Birmingham.'

'Well, maybe you fancy driving up to see the cousin while I speak to the sister, Sergeant?'

Hathaway wasn't entirely sure if his boss was joking or not. He wasn't smiling, his face looked deadly serious but it seemed a fairly unreasonable request, even by DI Lewis' high standards of professionalism, dedication to the job and steely determination, to ask him to drive several hours up the motorway to speak to someone who could probably tell him very little about their latest victim.

'What, _now_ Sir?' he asked, unable to prevent an eyebrow from being raised in surprise at the request.

'What's the problem, sergeant? Got plans for the evening, have you?'

'Well, yes, as it happens, I'm supposed to be on stage with the band at eight o'clock,' Hathaway reluctantly confessed. He was always uncomfortable talking to Lewis about anything to do with his private life and liked to keep it as low-key and off the agenda as possible. Lewis looked at Hathaway closely, noting his colleague shuffling of the feet and uneasy demeanour and afforded himself a wry grin which Hathaway mistook initially for an unnecessary enjoyment of his discomfort and embarrassment.

Hathaway's understandable attempts to excuse himself from working late reminded Lewis so much of his own tricky confrontations with Inspector Morse when the two of them were a team working on an investigation. Then it would be Morse who would from time to time show his exasperation whenever Lewis came out with the excuse that he couldn't work late because he had to take his wife to some evening class or because Eastenders was on the tele that evening and their recording system wasn't working. Lewis chuckled inwardly at how the tables had been turned so dramatically inside ten years and it was he now who had the power to agree to his junior's plea for a prompt end to his working day despite the frequent 24/7 nature of their job.

'Go on then, Hathaway,' he said with a warm, sympathetic smile and the hint of a laugh in his voice which instantly wiped away the sergeant's anxieties about what he had wrongly interpreted as Lewis's sullen disapproval. 'You go off and strut your stuff for the benefit of Oxford's musical community. But I'll see you bright and early in the morning though. We've got a lot to do if we want to get this investigation moving forward.'

'Thank you, Sir,' said a relieved Hathaway as he moved towards his car and opened the door. 'Have a good evening yourself.'

Hathaway had barely sat down in the driver's seat when Lewis called over to him. 'Where are you and your band playing tonight, anyway?'

'In the new wine bar around the corner from Merton College. They're giving us a try for a couple of nights this week to see if it will pull in a few new punters on Mondays and Thursdays.'

Lewis pursed his lips pensively. 'They're obviously prepared to take a few risks that you won't drive their regulars away, then?' Just as Hathaway was contemplating the merits of making a robust defence of his band's musicianship Lewis broke into a wicked smile which showed that he too could successfully tease his colleague and work on his sensitive areas as much as Hobson and Hathaway could with him.

**PART 3**

Emily and Naomi had an arm each around JJ's waist as the three amigos stumbled clumsily and devoid of any synchronicity out of the pub and into the street like some makeshift mutant team cobbled together at the last minute to take part in a parents and kids three-legged race on school sports day. They were hanging on to each other for dear life, partly because they were all doubled up in fits of laughter and partly because the girls at least were more than a bit tipsy having thrown several glasses of wine down their necks over the course of the last couple of hours.

JJ had certainly smiled and laughed a lot that evening so from that viewpoint the girls' plan to take him out and try to cheer him up and take his mind off worrying about Lara had been an unqualified success. They had even persuaded the poor lad, much against his better judgement, to knock back the best part of a glass of wine at one point which had loosened him up even further and undeniably had prompted the hysterical giggling and raucous howls of laughter which he had descended into a little later as the unaccustomed strength of the alcohol started to take effect. JJ was not a habitual drinker and so on the very rare occasions when he allowed himself to be persuaded or cajoled into drinking some of the hard stuff the consequences often turned out to be hilarious for his boozing companions if not always for himself. His voice got higher and squeakier, his nervous mannerisms, hand gestures and pink flushes of embarrassment became more marked and extravagant and his clumsiness and general gaucheness developed into a self-destructive death force which seemed determined to bring him down in front of a cast of dozens of bemused onlookers and bystanders.

It was amazing to the girls that the three of them hadn't been thrown out of the pub long before they finally staggered out - not because they had become unnecessarily rowdy and were threatening to spin out of control, far from it. No, the main cause for complaint from the pub's management was that JJ's actions had almost brought the whole place to a standstill to the extent that many customers had stopped buying any more drinks. Instead they were rooted to their seats, totally mesmerised by JJ's manic, uninhibited, theatrical behaviour and didn't want to miss his next trick- which naturally enough did include some of his special magic tricks which he hadn't performed publicly for many a year but which Naomi had persuaded him to do.

The three friends were staggering slowly down the road, lurching sporadically from side to side and nearly taking out the odd passer-by who hadn't allowed for their unpredictable path pattern. The street was a hubbub of late evening buzzing activity as the pubs belched out their customers in varying degrees of inebriation, restaurants their diners in visible discomfort from having gorged so greedily and cinemas their movie-goers still chattering away all at the same time about the merits of the film they had just seen. On the other side of the road, about thirty yards away from JJ and the girls, a fight had suddenly broken out in the street in front of a popular and traditionally rowdy bar-come-club.

There was nothing inherently remarkable about that in itself – the odd scuffle or spot of fisticuffs, not necessarily played according to Queensbury rules, accompanied by an commendable variety of verbal abuse and threats, could be witnessed almost any night of the week in most of the major towns and cities where alcohol was prevalent and people still had an inability to deal with its effects in a civilised manner. The only noteworthy aspect of this particular tussle was that it was testosterone-free, involving as it did two girls. Whilst this was not exactly an unheard of occurrence, admittedly, it was still one which was mercifully less commonplace than your normal standoff between two young men suitably tanked up to the eyeballs who had taken exception to some arsehole having accidentally spilt their beer.

Naomi glanced across the street to take no more than a cursory, largely disinterested glance at the two participants of this latest struggle for bragging rights but the sight that met her eyes made her stop dead in her tracks, the suddenness of her halt almost causing the other two to topple arse over tit onto the pavement. 'Holy shit,' she cried, freeing herself from JJ's clutches, pointing across the road and turning to Emily who had shot her a startled look on recognising the urgency in her girlfriend's voice. 'Look, Katie's in a fight over the road,' she said and immediately started to take her life into her hands by attempting to manoeuvre the quickest possible path across the street which was busy with traffic negotiating its way through the city. She was soon joined in her death-defying task by Emily and JJ who had followed Naomi's outstretched arm and recognised the unmistakeable figure of Katie trading mighty blows and slaps with another woman. A crowd of mostly male onlookers stood nearby, helpfully refusing to separate the two girls but rather judging it more appropriate from the viewpoint of rounding off their evening's entertainment to take sides and cheer on either Katie or her opponent with a series of wildly enthusiastic whoops and hollers, interspersed with the odd bit of invaluable advice along the lines of, 'Go on darling, kick her fucking face in,' 'Pull her hair, Blondie,' or 'This is fucking mint! I could watch this all night!'

More by luck than judgement the two girls, with JJ trailing in their wake, made it across the road unscathed and rushed over towards Katie who appeared to be coming off marginally the worst in the catfight and was already sporting a bloody nose and several bright red marks across her face where a few well-judged slaps had left their mark.

'Katie! What the fuck are you doing?' screamed a terrified Emily as she and Naomi grabbed hold of a wild-eyed Katie who was almost foaming at the mouth with rage and dragged her away from the other girl who was just about to try to land another punch flush on her face. As they struggled to hold on to Katie who was wriggling like mad to free herself from their stranglehold and launch another furious assault on her opponent, the other girl, who seemed to be no more than about eighteen, tall, strongly built and with the sort of face that suggested she might have been involved in a few dust-ups in her short life already, breathed heavily and bent over double as she silently stared at the three girls, while JJ nervously looked on from the side, unsure what to do.

'Do you two know who this fucking slag is who's been hitting on my boyfriend all night ?' asked the girl as she advanced towards the three of them, her face like thunder and seemingly intent on inflicting even more punishment on her opponent's aides if she needed to in order to get at Katie again.

'Fuck off you cow!' said Emily, taking a tentative step forward whilst Naomi battled to restrain Katie who let out a blood-curdling scream of rage at this latest far from flattering description given to her. 'That's my sister you're talking about. If you say that again I'll knock your fucking head off!'

The group of lads cheered wildly at that far from convincing promise of Emily's as the prospect of a further bout of unlicensed female kick-boxing clearly excited the shit out of them. The other girl looked none too impressed with Emily's claim of instant retribution since she merely laughed out loud and sneered menacingly towards the three girls, her hands on her hips and her head thrown back in amusement and disbelief. 'Fine by me, sweetheart. I'll take the whole of your family on single-handed if I need to.'

'Don't get involved, please, Emily. Let's just get Katie away from here, NOW!' The voice of reason rang out loud and clear, cutting across the indistinct murmur of onlookers and passers-by who had stopped to watch the action. 'Come on!' JJ stepped forward, realising that Naomi was spot on – this was no time for the girls to stand their ground and carry the fight back, despite the obvious numerical advantage they held. He steered an undecided and simmering Emily away from Katie's far from new best friend and pulled her off down the road, following the example of Naomi who was using her superior strength and physicality to maintain a firm grip on Katie who was now bleeding profusely and whimpering slightly, as she leaned in to Naomi's shoulder to hide her tears of pain and shock from her triumphant opponent.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

Sorry this last chapter's been a bit long in coming out – I've had massive PC trouble lately and didn't think I would be able to write any update for quite some time but fortunately I've managed to make an old but painfully slow laptop work for long enough to enable me to produce this update

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I'm also trying to make future chapters quite a bit shorter – the last one was way too long, even by my long-winded standards so I've left a couple of action-filled Monday evening scenes that I was planning to include here until the next chapter instead.

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	17. Chapter 17

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily tries unsuccessfully to persuade Naomi to tell the police that she smoked the spliff found at the murder scene after the party. Lewis and Hathaway discuss the latest surprise murder victim and vow to search assiduously for anything that might link the three murder victims, however tenuous or flimsy. After an enjoyable night out cheering up JJ, Emily and Naomi are forced to intervene when they come across a tanked-up Katie fighting with another girl in the street.

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: **

**PART 1**

'Are you sure it's okay for you to be drinking with someone who has a criminal record, James?' Effy fixed a whimsical stare on Sgt Hathaway before raising her glass to her lips and taking a sip of wine. Hathaway looked back at Effy in thoughtful silence, noting the corners of her mouth twitching slightly as she fought to ward off a smile, perhaps even a snigger.

'You haven't got a criminal record, Effy. Well, not for car theft anyway. We didn't arrest you, remember?'

'Oh yes, of course. You let me off with a caution, didn't you? But I suppose I'm still a suspect in your murder investigation, aren't I? Is it normal for detectives to socialise with murder suspects in the middle of a case? I'm sure your boss would have a fit if he found out. He looks the sort who would.'

'I might just be here to ask you more questions about the murder,' replied Hathaway, joining in the game that he could see Effy was playing with him. 'I simply happened to have chosen to interview you in a wine bar, that's all. We could have met up anywhere, really.'

Effy laughed. Somehow she couldn't see the serious, ultra formal and correct DI Lewis falling for that load of old bollocks. 'Well, if your explanation is to have any credibility at all you'd better hurry up and ask me some questions, hadn't you?'

Hathaway looked down at his drink and pondered a while whether Effy was right that his boss would indeed hit the roof if he knew what the two of them were doing right then- not that he believed Lewis suspected Effy of the murders any more than he himself did. Nonetheless fraternising with any suspect or witness in a murder enquiry was generally frowned upon, if not downright forbidden. In his defence though, James could recall one or two instances when DI Lewis had become particularly friendly with one or two women who were prominently involved in a murder investigation they had been conducting. Lewis had even gone out for dinner or drinks with them so Hathaway knew he was not alone in making such an error of judgement, if indeed it was one.

'Can you think of anything you haven't already told us about last Saturday night? Anything you saw or heard, anything that seemed odd to you?'

Effy thought for a short while then shook her head. 'Nothing. I was with you most of the evening and the few times I wasn't, well I don't recall seeing anything out of the ordinary. It was just a normal party, with lots of people getting drunk, having fun, moving all over the place, in and out of the house, upstairs and downstairs, coming and going and no-one was taking particular notice of anything or anyone.'

'As far as I can see, anyone could have slipped out unnoticed during the evening for a few minutes and returned without anybody realising they had left. What do you think?' Hathaway asked, as he recalled the events of the previous Saturday night which matched Effy's description of it nigh on perfectly.

Effy nodded as she drank the last mouthful of wine. 'I agree. I can't see how anyone who was still there after Emily's boss left could possibly have much of an alibi for the rest of the evening.' She paused for a moment wondering whether she should ask her next question before deciding to go ahead anyway. 'How is the case going?'

'Slowly,' replied Hathaway with a grimace. 'We discovered a third body this afternoon.'

'Oh God,' said Effy. 'Was it…as bad as the other two? You know, mutilated, a part of the body removed like they said in the papers?'

Hathaway nodded but didn't expand any further. Lewis had decided to keep the details of the castration under wraps for the moment. 'Do you know the church of St Saviours, by any chance?' he asked on the spur of the moment but wasn't unduly surprised by Effy's slow shake of the head and puzzled expression. She didn't strike him as a young woman who was much of a church-goer or someone who would be likely to turn to spiritual comfort in times of need.

'Well then, in that case I think we can bring the official police interview to an end,' said Hathaway and he stood up, picked up Effy's empty glass and raised an eyebrow enquiringly at her to which she responded with a nod and a smile. She sat back in her chair as Hathaway went off to the bar and closed her eyes, wondering if she was making a huge mistake getting involved with James. Trouble was, she really liked him, fancied the pants off him in fact but she was worried her infatuation with him wasn't going to lead anywhere. He seemed too suspicious of people, too afraid of getting emotionally involved with any woman, too wrapped up in his work to allow another person the chance to enter his own private world. Perhaps that was all part of being a copper- the hours were unsociable, the pressure to get results enormous, the work itself often dark, depressing and dehumanising. Was it remotely realistic to expect a murder detective to be happy, relaxed, carefree and, dare she say it, 'normal' like other men?

A sudden beep on her phone harshly wrenched her away from her psychological musings and dragged her back to reality. A quick glance told her someone had sent her a text message which she guessed was from one of the girls wondering how late she was going to be or if she was even planning to return to the house at all that night, a question she didn't yet know the answer to. She was startled to discover that the message had come from Cook. She didn't know he even had her mobile number. The message was short and uncomplicated as with most of Cook's communications_. 'Meet me in the pisser in ten minutes. I need to speak to you. Cook.'_

Jesus Christ! Was he off his head or what? Effy thought. Instinctively she had a good look around the room trying to spot Cook before shooting an anxious glance over towards the bar where Hathaway was waiting to be served. Fortunately his attention was focused on the barman and not in her direction so he couldn't have seen her strange reaction to getting the message. Where the fuck was Cook then? He must have been in the bar or outside it at some point recently. He had to know that she was with Sgt Hathaway so why the hell was he taking such a huge risk in asking to meet with her here? Did he _want_ to get caught? Was it a huge, perverted, twisted turn-on for him to try to meet up with her right under the noses of the very cops who were looking for him? Did his love of risk and danger know no boundaries? Or maybe he had completely lost his head and was so high on drugs or booze that he was incapable of thinking straight any more.

Whatever the reason for his extreme behaviour, his request, or more accurately his demand, had presented her with a tricky decision to make. If she ignored his message then he might be compelled to take an even bigger risk at a later date to get to talk to her, a risk that would surely end badly for him and lead to his arrest. But if she agreed to meet up with him here, could she do so without attracting the suspicions of James? And how did she feel about going behind James' back? To whom did she owe her loyalty the most - one of her oldest friends and ex-lovers whom she hadn't seen in years or her latest friend with whom she had been spending so much time lately but who wasn't even a current lover?

But before she could answer her own deep soul-searching questions Hathaway had returned with their drinks and she was forced to cover up her anxiety and confusion with a grateful smile. She had to drag herself back into his admittedly delightful company once again, at least on the surface, whilst in the corners of her troubled mind she had to secretly weigh up the pros and cons of agreeing to Cook's mad, reckless and foolhardy request for a private audience in the most insalubrious of locations.

**PART 2**

Emily was doing her best to patch up Katie's battle wounds with cotton wool, iodine and a lot of tender loving care. The patient was proving difficult, however, and had to be continually told to sit still and not wriggle about so much as the impromptu nurse dabbed at her sister's unsightly scars and abrasions as gently as she could.

'Look, if you don't keep still, how can I clean you up, Katie?' said Emily making a tremendous effort of willpower to keep her mounting sense of frustration out of her voice and not lose her temper with her unruly and reluctant patient. 'Or do you _want _to walk around for the next week looking like you've been hit by a bloody double-decker bus?'

'I didn't ask you to clean me up, did I,' pouted Katie as she flinched yet again from the stinging effects of the iodine which Emily was applying to her cheeks, lips and nose. 'I'd have been fine without your help.'

'No, you wouldn't,' insisted Emily, as she calmly waited for Katie to resume the position. 'You might have bled to death if we'd just left you fighting in the street any longer.'

'Bullshit! I was beating the crap out of that fucking stupid, ugly cow. She'd have been toast if you hadn't butted in, you and bloody Wonder Woman!'

'Does she mean me?' asked Naomi adopting a tone and expression of mock outrage. The blonde had been hovering in the background of the kitchen, observing Emily's mopping-up operation and trying not to laugh but palpably failing to prevent a satisfied smirk from spreading across her face. 'Surely not? I mean, I wasn't even wearing my costume last night!'

'You ought to thank Naoms, Katie. If she hadn't held you back and got between you and that other girl, you could have been even more seriously hurt. That girl was all for beating the living crap out of you. What the fuck was the fight about anyway?'

'Nothing,' said a surly Katie, scowling over at Naomi who returned Katie's display of undying gratitude with a huge beaming smile which naturally infuriated Katie even more.

'Oh come on, Katie! It must have been about something. You don't go around fighting people for no reason at all.' Emily was determined not to let the matter rest.

'Not since she left college at any rate. Those mad, bad, senseless days are long behind you, aren't they Katie dear?' Naomi was clearly enjoying watching Katie's painful discomfort and humiliating embarrassment and wasn't ready yet to call a truce and join in with the tea and sympathy brigade which Emily and JJ were more than capable of administering on their own. JJ put down a cup of strong black coffee on the table in front of Katie and gave the wounded warrior a sympathetic smile and a comforting squeeze of the shoulder which act of kindness Katie appreciated with a few simple yet genuine words of thanks. JJ was doing the smart thing in keeping well out of the debate. It was one of those occasions when a guy needed to recognise his limitations and shortcomings and steer well away from any frank exchange of opinions between the sisterhood on matters that didn't concern him. He mumbled an excuse about sending Lara a text and departed the scene, leaving the way clear for the girls to recommence battle without any unnecessary male interference.

**PART 3**

Effy glanced surreptitiously at her watch while James took another sip from his glass and saw that it was only a minute or so away from the ten minute deadline Cook had set her for meeting up with him. It was decision time and so with a heavy heart and considerable foreboding Effy stood up, grabbed hold of her handbag and told Hathaway she needed to go to the toilet. She then slowly made her way across the crowded bar towards the door in the opposite corner which led to a passageway off of which both the gents and the ladies were to be found.

As she went through the door and started walking down the corridor it suddenly occurred to her that Cook hadn't said which one of the toilets he would be waiting for her in. The bizarre, comical image of the ultimate macho man Cook casually hanging around in the ladies or hiding in one of the cubicles while a procession of women popped in and out to use the facilities, reapply their make-up, refresh themselves or merely have a bit of a girly natter about the guys who were chatting them up would normally have made her burst out laughing. But she didn't feel much like laughing at that moment. The situation was far too serious and dangerous to raise even the merest hint of a smile from her tightly pressed lips. The first door she came to was the ladies and so she decided on a process of elimination and opened the door and walked confidently inside. There were only two girls inside. One was checking her face in the large mirror which ran the width of the washroom whilst the other was perched next to her beside the washbasins examining her nails whilst chatting to her friend. Without a word Effy ignored the two girls and went straight over towards the cubicles and quickly checked they were all unoccupied, pushing the doors open and peering briefly inside. Not a sign of Cook anywhere.

The inconsiderate, selfish bastard obviously intended the embarrassment of walking into the wrong washroom should be hers entirely – typical Cook, she thought as she left without a word of explanation for her somewhat bizarre behaviour to the two girls who had watched her with a modicum of interest and baffled curiosity. She went a few more steps down the corridor and came to a halt outside the door of the gents' loo. She took a deep breath and, with a thumping heartbeat, pushed open the door and nervously and cautiously edged into the room, calling Cook's name in a loudish whisper.

'I'm in here, Effy,' spoke a familiar, confident voice and Effy moved more boldly inside and walked around the corner wall which for modesty purposes hid the main part of the toilet from view of the door. She immediately saw Cook sitting beside the wash basins, just like one of the girls in the ladies a few moments ago, furiously puffing on a cigarette in glorious defiance of the large no smoking sign posted on the wall behind him. His baseball cap was pulled down over the top part of his face and he had what looked like the best part of a week's unshaven designer stubble on his chin, upper lip and down the sides of his face which made him look quite sinister and swarthy. He was looking unusually gaunt for him which suggested to Effy that he hadn't eaten much in the last few days. She guessed he must have been lying low since the party and surviving on a few stolen scraps wherever he could lay his hands on them.

'What do you want, Cook?' said Effy in a far from friendly and welcoming tone, wishing to get straight to the point, deal with whatever shit he wanted to bring up and then get the hell out of there and back to the relative safety of her police sergeant.

'I need to talk to you about something, Effy? Something really big, you know?'

'Why couldn't you have spoken to me last Saturday night? Why wait until now? You obviously know Sgt Hathaway's waiting for me in the bar. Why take such a big risk in meeting in this God forsaken hellhole?'

Cook stared back at Effy as he continued smoking his cigarette, which as far as Effy could make out seemed to be simple tobacco and nothing stronger and illegal which she supposed was a small blessing.

'I couldn't speak to you about it at the party. It was too dangerous, what with that copper of yours never leaving your side for a moment. I presume he is your boyfriend?'

'None of your damn business, Cook.'

'Quite right, so it isn't. Even so, babe, a policeman! Couldn't you do better than that, for fuck's sake?'

'Cook, if I'd chosen to make friends with the most foul-smelling, pissed-up, urine-soaked, brain-dead tramp in the world, it would have been an improvement on you as a friend.'

Effy knew that was a bit harsh but she was in no mood to engage in subtle niceties with Cook or have much regard for his finer feelings and sensitivities. Her patience with Cook's unique brand of theatrical subterfuge and mysterious shady dealings was wearing awfully thin.

'Look, you might think it's super cool and exciting to have secret, grubby meetings in gent's toilets but I don't. What the fuck do you want with me? If you can't get to the point right now then I'm going back to the bar.' Effy half turned on her heels and made the tiniest of movements towards the entrance to the toilet when Cook's next few words sent an icy chill running up her spine and her heart almost seemed to stop.

'It's about Freds, Effy. I need to talk to you about Freds.'

'What about him? You told me you hadn't seen him since he disappeared. Was that just another one of your pathetic lies?'

Cook shook his head silently and yet Effy thought she could detect the same inexplicable sadness in his eyes as she saw at the party during their brief encounter in front of Sgt Hathaway.

'Well, if you haven't seen him, if you don't know where he is, why bring his name up? Can't you imagine how tough it's been for me these last few years, not knowing why he just ran off and left me to cope with everything on my own?'

Cook jumped down to the floor and came over to a tearful, unusually emotional Effy and attempted to put his arms around her to comfort her but the tall brunette was having none of it. She felt as if Cook had come to Oxford just to mock her and torment her about Freddie's disappearance for some sick, twisted reason known only to him. She brushed him away from her with a violent wave of her arms and turned to leave before he caught hold of her right arm and spun her round to face him. Effy cried out in pain at the wrench of her arm and as she prepared to launch a stream of abuse in his face she caught sight of his expression from under the rim of his cap and saw that he was more serious, solemn and wracked with tension than she had ever seen him before. 'What?' she said, shelving the torrent of foul-mouthed abuse she was about to let rip at him. 'What is it, Cook?'

'Look, I was telling the truth when I said I hadn't seen or heard from Freds since the day he disappeared. But…..' and Cook took a deep breath before he continued in a very strained and peculiar voice, 'I think I do know what happened to him.'

'What do you mean 'what happened to him', Cook? You're frightening me! Do you know where he is now or not? Just give me a straight answer.'

Cook shook his head. 'I don't know for sure where he is but I can make an educated guess where he might be.'

'You're talking in riddles, Cook,' said Effy who was getting more and more pissed off by Cook's refusal to give her a straight answer. 'Did the two of you bugger off somewhere together? Is that why you vanished that evening when we were in Freddie's shed? He called you, didn't he and asked you to join him? Only you went your separate ways in the end and you don't have a clue where he is now.'

'No, it wasn't like that, Effy. I told you I never saw or heard from him since he disappeared. I looked all over the place for him but couldn't find a trace of him anywhere. Until….'

'Until what?' Effy was looking hard at Cook who seemed to be wrestling with himself, wrestling with the heartbreaking dilemma of wanting to break the news to her about Freddie's fate with his desire to care for Effy, his fear of causing her to suffer another mental breakdown, of being forever known as the person who pushed her over the edge of the precipice once and for all.

'Until that night when I saw Dr Foster hanging around Freddie's house.'

'Dr Foster?' Effy's mouth flew open at the unexpected mention of her old psychiatrist's name. It had been years since she had been treated by him. He had helped her to recover from the worst effects of her clinical depression. She had a lot to thank him for, she recalled.

'What the hell has Dr Foster got to do with Freddie's disappearance? You're not making any sense, Cook'

'I know none of this is going to make any sense, Ef. But you've got to believe me. I left the shed to have a smoke and I saw him outside. He ran off as soon as I caught sight of him but for some reason I decided to follow him. I followed him all the way back to his house.' He paused to take another deep breath and summon up all his courage. This was the bit Cook had been dreading. This was the moment he knew he would have to face up to one day, the moment he had been putting off for years on the pretext that it would be too dangerous to reveal the truth to Effy, to anyone for that matter if he valued his own freedom. But recent events had changed all of that. There was no need to keep things a secret any more. The truth would soon be known to everyone. But that didn't make this horrifically painful moment any easier to bear.

**PART 4**

'So are you still not going to tell me what the problem is?' Emily was close to the end of her tether with Katie who was resolutely refusing to explain what lay behind her recent drinking extravaganzas and erratic behaviour. She had patched Katie up the best she could and the two of them were now sitting quietly on the sofas in the living-room while Naomi flitted in and out pretending to be doing some late night tidying up before bed but actually keeping a watchful eye on the sisters in case Katie lost control yet again. Naomi could sort of see the funny side of Katie getting involved in a pointless drunken brawl with a strange girl over some guy but she wasn't going to stand idly by and do nothing should Katie choose to turn her resentment and misery on Emily. If she had to stand up for Emily and support her against her moody, depressed twin then she wanted to be close by, ready to leap to her defence.

'I don't have a problem,' insisted Katie grumpily. 'Jesus! It was only a bit of a misunderstanding that got out of hand. You're making it sound like I ought to be sectioned before I do myself any harm.'

'No, I'm not. Stop exaggerating. But you can't deny you've been drinking really heavily ever since you arrived here and that's just not like you. I can tell something's wrong, Katie.'

'So I like the odd drink or two now and again! So fucking what? Anyway you're a fine one to talk! You can knock the booze back as much as me – or at least you used to before you shacked up with Naomi and became the world's most boring gay couple.'

'I've never put it away as much as you've done these past few days. You could probably drink Cook under the table, the number of bottles you've been getting through. I know there has to be a reason behind it, Katie. I'm not an idiot. I know people usually drink too much because they're trying to forget something.'

Katie quickly jerked her head up from the floor which she had been pointedly staring down at while Emily was having her say and looked up at her sister, feeling her cheeks go bright red as she did so before looking away again. 'So you're a fucking psychologist now, then, are you?'

Emily ignored Katie's weak little jibe and continued with her theme. 'What is it you're trying to forget, Katie?'

'Nothing,' said Katie, getting up and making to leave the room but Emily had anticipated her move and had beaten her path to the doorway. She stood defiantly in her sister's way, fighting back the tears of confusion and despair as she had to face up to the unpalatable fact that Katie no longer saw her as her closest confidante, the one person in the world she could trust with her darkest, most painful secrets.

'I'm not letting you leave until you tell me what's wrong, Katie,' she said, fixing an imploring gaze on Katie whose lips she could see were starting to quiver and whose eyes were furiously trying to blink back the tears. Katie was so tired of hiding the truth, so emotionally exhausted from putting on a brave face all the time, of keeping up appearances that she would have willingly blurted out the whole sorry story to Emily there and then if it wasn't for the irritatingly constant nagging presence of Naomi in the background. To Katie it felt as if Naomi was like that bloody annoying parrot that was always perched on the sea captain's shoulder, always there watching, forever trotting out a passing quip or a cutting remark which he had learned to mimic from years of listening to everyone's conversations.

Emily's sixth sense told her that Naomi's unobtrusive yet still suffocating presence by the doorway was not conducive to Katie unburdening her soul to her sister. She looked over at Naomi and made a subtle, surreptitious gesture with her head to suggest that she should leave the two of them alone. Naomi picked up the hint, nodded and announced that she was going up to bed and that she would leave the pair of them to it. Once Naomi had gone, Emily shut the door behind them, took a miserable and shattered Katie gently by the hand and led her back to the sofa where they sat down side by side.

'Come on, Katie, please. Tell me what the problem is. I don't care if it takes all night, I want to help and I can't do that unless you tell me what's wrong. No-one's going to disturb us. It's just you and me now, like the old days, eh? You and me against the rest of the world, yeah? Do you remember those days, Katie? Nobody else stood a chance, did they?'

She forced out a huge smile to reassure her sister that she was on her side, that she was there for her when she needed her most and was intensely relieved to see Katie reciprocate with a wry grin of her own – not a killer smile admittedly, not a smile to melt the stoniest of hearts or tug the heart strings of the coldest of souls but it was a definite improvement on the expressions of despair and desolation of the last half hour. 'Now, you just take your time and tell me all about it. There's no hurry, whenever you're ready. I'll wait for as long as it takes for you to tell me.'

**PART 5**

Sgt Hathaway was sitting at the table, drumming his fingers absent-mindedly on the wooden surface as he waited impatiently for Effy to return. He was deep in contemplation, exploring a mixture of random thoughts about the case interspersed with uncertain musings on the nature of his 'relationship' with Effy. His concentration was disturbed all of a sudden by his mobile bursting into life and when he picked it up off the table he saw it was DI Lewis calling which could only mean one thing at this time of night – his evening's socialising had come to an end. Inspector Lewis wasn't one for ringing up his sergeant late at night merely to wish him sweet dreams.

'Good evening, Sir,' he said as he picked up the call.

'Hathaway, we've had a report of a possible sighting of James Cook. He's been seen hanging around outside that wine bar you've playing in tonight! I'm on my way over there right now.'

Hathaway gave an involuntary start at the mention of the very drinking-hole in which he was sitting right at that moment. 'I'll check the place out and wait for you there,' he said before switching off. But far from leaping into action as Lewis would have expected him to do, Hathaway remained seated at the table, staring off into space as all manner of thoughts, ideas and theories began flashing through his head. He looked over towards where Effy had disappeared to the ladies more than five minutes ago and then he glanced at his watch to confirm his growing suspicion that she had been gone an unfeasibly long time unless she had suddenly been taken ill.

With a decisive movement Hathaway got to his feet and moved purposefully across the bar and towards the door leading down to the toilets. Once through into the passageway he quickly arrived at the ladies, opened the door noiselessly with out any hesitation and tiptoed inside. A couple of women were washing their hands at the sinks and combing their hair in the mirror and on seeing his appearance in the mirror turned round and pointed out the error of his ways with a firm rebuke. 'Wrong bloody door, mate! The gents' is the next one down.'

Hathaway nodded in acknowledgement but not before he had cast a well trained eye over the cubicles to ensure that none of them were occupied by either Effy or James Cook hiding from view. Satisfied that they weren't there he left and moved on to the next door a few feet further on. He carefully and slowly pushed open the outer door without making even the tiniest noise and stepped cautiously inside, stopping when he heard the sound of voices from within. He closed his eyes momentarily in despair as he recognised one of the voices as being Effy's and he could make an educated guess as to who the other voice belonged to. He opened his eyes again, realising that he had a job to do and that all personal feelings had to be brushed aside.

He tiptoed calmly around the corner of the wall and out into the middle of the washroom from where he saw Effy and Cook standing in front of the washbasins caught in mid-conversation. Both heads swivelled round in shock at being disturbed without any warning of approaching footsteps and their words were strangled in their mouths by the sound of loud gasps of disbelief at who had interrupted their clandestine meeting.

Cook wasted no time in reacting and immediately made a bee line for the half-open window but Hathaway was no slouch either. Cook had jumped up and was already forcing his way through the narrow but perfectly manageable opening by the time Hathaway had ran over, grabbed hold of him and begun to pull him back. A titanic struggle broke out which ended with Cook launching both feet into Hathaway's exposed chest region, sending the sergeant sprawling to the floor in searing agony and landing at the feet of a tearful Effy. At that precise moment DI Lewis and a police constable burst into the washroom just in time to see Cook wriggling through the open window and jumping down into the alley way which ran alongside the back of the bar.

Lewis quickly appraised the situation and barked out an order to the constable to run round to the back of the pub and try to head Cook off that way before he helped a still groggy Hathaway to his feet. 'Are you alright, Hathaway?' he asked, rightly concerned for his colleague's well-being but was reassured by a quick nod from an angry Hathaway who, without even a second glance at a seemingly stunned and speechless Effy, hoisted himself up onto the window sill and manoeuvred himself out of the window and off in hopeful pursuit of an already fast departing James Cook.

Alone in the restroom with Effy, Lewis looked at the dazed young woman with an expression that would have turned Medusa to stone before coldly announcing 'As for you, young lady, I think you've got a lot of questions to answer down at the station.'

.


	18. Chapter 18

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily and Naomi get a battered and bruised Katie home and clean her up. Effy gets a text message from Cook to meet her in the toilets of the bar which she manages to do without arousing Hathaway's suspicions. Emily begs a furious and unrepentant Katie to tell her what her problem is that's driven her to drink. Effy meets up with Cook who begins to explain to her what happened to Freddie but they are interrupted by Hathaway who has been tipped off by Lewis that Cook has been spotted in the area. Cook escapes but Effy is taken down to the police station by Lewis for questioning.

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: **

**PART 1**

Effy had been sitting in the cold, bleak interview room for almost fifteen minutes with nothing but a silent police constable standing motionless by the door for company. She was genuinely worried that the police might throw the book at her and keep her locked up in a cell overnight unless she found a way to wriggle out of any charges they might be considering. Worse still, she was dreading being interviewed by James Hathaway and seeing the look of intense disappointment etched all over his face. She knew she had let him down and maybe even jeopardised or stalled his career in the police force as a result her thoughtless actions. She was determined however not to betray her anxiety but try to maintain an air of quiet confidence in her innocence of anything more reprehensible than fierce loyalty to her friends.

Just when she was beginning to think that Inspector Lewis had decided to let her stew all on her own in this dingy, depressing room all night the door opened and in strode the inspector, his face solemn and inhospitable, clutching a file in his hand. He stood at the door for some time, silently scrutinising alternately Effy and then the file of papers, before he came over to the table and sat down in one of the two chairs opposite her, laying the file open in front of him. Effy could feel her heart pounding and her hands start to feel clammy as she waited nervously for DI Lewis to begin giving her the third degree.

'When I last spoke to you, Miss Stonem,' Lewis began, fixing a stern, beady eye on Effy, 'I thought I had made it quite clear that I was expecting you to keep a low profile and your nose clean while you remained in Oxford.'

Effy nodded and opened her mouth to reply but thought better of it, deciding that it would be wiser only to speak when a full answer was required.

'So, bearing that in mind and seeing as it's been a long, hard day and right now I ought to be tucked up in bed with my mug of cocoa instead of being stuck in here talking to you, why did you arrange to meet up with James Cook this evening?'

'I didn't, Inspector. He….he contacted me while I was in the bar tonight and told me to meet him there. I had no idea he was going to call.'

'But you still met up with him, though, didn't you? Even though you knew we had been looking for him ever since he disappeared after the body was found on Saturday night? You and your friends were all asked to let us know the minute he got in touch with any of you.'

Effy bit her lip and forced herself to hold her head up high and not let it drop down in an obvious admission of guilt. 'I know. I'm sorry, Inspector. But I'm absolutely positive Cook had nothing at all to do with your murder. He may be a bit of a head case but he's not a murderer, Inspector.' Lewis raised an eyebrow at Effy's defiant and passionate defence of James Cook and leaned forward to pick up a piece of paper from the file in front of him.

'It says here he's got form for violent behaviour, Miss Stonem. In fact he was sent down for a stretch in Bristol for GBH but he escaped from prison and hasn't been seen since. Bristol police believe he was hiding out with your friends Naomi and Emily for a while before they think he left Bristol for good.'

'Did the police have any proof that Naomi and Emily were hiding him, Inspector?' asked Effy calmly, staring down Lewis with a steely, expressionless gaze.

'A statement was taken from a young girl who claimed to have spent the night with Cook at the house where Miss Campbell, Miss Emily Fitch and a whole load of other friends were living at the time.'

'Not me, Inspector,' Effy pointed out succinctly.

'No, not you, it would appear.'

'Did the police ever find any evidence that Cook was staying at Naomi and Emily's?'

Lewis consulted his file briefly before shaking his head and changing the subject. 'What did he want to see you about? It must have been pretty important for him to take such a huge risk of being caught.'

Effy hesitated for a fraction before responding but not quickly enough to prevent Lewis from clocking her momentary hesitation. 'I never really found out, Inspector. We were interrupted by Sgt Hathaway before he got round to telling me what it was all about.'

'Oh, come on, Miss Stonem! You'll have to do better than that! Sgt Hathaway has confirmed you had been gone almost ten minutes before he burst in on the pair of you. Nobody takes that long to get to the point! I repeat, what did you talk about?'

Effy was silent for a while, churning around frantically in her head all the possible consequences of telling or not telling the truth. 'Okay, okay. I think…. he was going to tell me something about Freddie, my boyfriend at college who did a runner on me a few years back.'

'Going to?' Lewis looked at Effy sceptically, wondering if this young woman was capable of ever telling the truth or whether she would go to extraordinary lengths to protect her closest friends and family.

'He was taking forever to get round to telling me, Inspector. It felt as if he had something terrible to tell me which he knew would really upset me and could hardly bring himself to do it. He was just on the point of finally telling me why Freddie ran out on me when….well, you know what happened next.'

'He resisted arrest, assaulted a police officer and ran off,' said Lewis. 'And you helped him, Miss Stonem,' he added, noticing the stiffening of Effy's back and the tiniest twitching of her face.

'I didn't help him do any of that! I was in a state of shock, Inspector when Sgt Hathaway burst in on us. Everything after that happened so fast. Cook was away out of the window before I could hardly blink!'

For once DI Lewis believed Effy. A man like Cook didn't need any help in escaping the clutches of the police – he seemed well practiced in the art if his file was anything to go by.

'Is that why he came to Oxford – to see you?'

'I don't know. I can't believe that was the reason. He could have turned up on my doorstep back at home at any time if he was that desperate to see me. I don't know why he turned up here this weekend.'

'Wasn't he invited to the party, then? He must have known about it.'

Effy looked blankly at DI Lewis. That was a question that had been puzzling her ever since Cook had turned up so unexpectedly on the doorstep last Saturday night and no-one in the gang had come up with a convincing explanation yet. 'I have no idea, Inspector. As far as I'm aware he wasn't invited – we wouldn't have known where to send the invite. None of us had seen or heard from him in years. For all we knew he could have been on the other side of the world.'

Lewis contemplated Effy pensively but came to the conclusion she was being genuine in her answers. He couldn't detect any tell-tale signs of dissemblance or obtuseness. He wasn't totally convinced she didn't know what it was that Cook wanted to see her about that evening but for the life of him he couldn't see what possible connection it could have with their murder enquiry. Much as he would have liked to bang her up for a day or two to teach her a lesson not to obstruct the police with their enquiries, whether it be murder or an escaped prisoner, he couldn't see the value in locking her up.

Besides, if it had been so important to Cook to try to speak to her in person and Effy was telling the truth when she said they had been interrupted before he had a chance to explain fully, then there was a decent chance he would try to contact her again. Only this time the police would be waiting and watching. Clearly this James Cook was a right old slippery eel who had escaped their clutches on more than one occasion already and Lewis was buggered if he was going to allow it to happen one more time. He was going to request a tail be put on Effy for a day or two and bank on Cook not being able to resist the bait of Effy at the third time of asking. No, for the moment Effy Stonem was definitely of more use to them as a free woman than locked up.

'Okay, Miss Stonem, that's all – for now, at least. You are free to go.'

Effy let out a sigh of relief and surprise. 'You mean you're not going to charge me with anything?'

'Not for the moment. But let me issue you with one final warning, young woman, so you're in no doubt as to the seriousness of your position. The next time James Cook contacts you, however he does it, you're to call me at once, do you hear me? Not Sgt Hathaway, not any of your friends, Me and only me! Understood? '

Effy nodded silently and watched as Lewis rose from his chair clutching the file in his right hand and left the room without any further ado, leaving a relieved but confused and bewildered Effy sitting alone with the uniformed copper standing at the door.

**PART 2**

When Naomi woke up the next morning around seven o'clock it was to find Emily's head slumped against her left shoulder and her left arm wrapped tight around her waist as if she was clinging on for dear life to the only thing that could save her from oblivion. The redhead still appeared to be sound asleep so Naomi was reluctant to wake her up just yet but she was filled with a burning curiosity to find out what Katie had said after she had left the two sisters to talk alone the previous evening. She waited a few minutes with mounting impatience for Emily to wake up or even just to show the vaguest signs of movement but eventually she couldn't bear the peaceful silence in the room a second longer and caved in. She delicately nudged her girlfriend in the side, not hard of course but just enough to force a reaction out of her. Emily let out an unintelligible little grunt, almost a moan in fact, and shifted her position slightly which was all the encouragement Naomi needed to seize the opportunity and dive in.

'Ems? Are you awake?' she asked, not exactly whispering in her lover's ear as she propped herself up on her pillow with one elbow and turned her face towards Emily who was slowly opening her eyes and blinking furiously as the early morning sunlight dazzled her delicate sleepy features. After a further period of frenetic opening and closing her eyes, screwing up her face and more indeterminate grunting, Emily finally appeared to be fully conscious and demonstrated it by lifting her face up towards Naomi's and forcing a seemingly contented smile at her.

'Hi,' Emily said softly which Naomi not unreasonably took to be an invitation for her to give the redhead her customary long, deep, good morning kiss which she accepted with much relish as she eased her arms around Naomi's neck and pulled the blonde closer towards her. They kissed passionately and greedily until Naomi eased her face gently and reluctantly away, consumed by an overwhelming desire to quiz Emily about Katie, a desire which for once was greater than her passion and hunger for Emily's body.

'So, come on sweetheart, spill the beans. What did Katie say after I left you both?'

Emily groaned out loud and sighed heavily as she leant her head back on to her pillow and stared up at the ceiling as if searching for divine assistance in expressing her feelings adequately. 'Oh God, Naoms, it's all a fucking nightmare, you just wouldn't believe it!'

'Ems, don't keep me on tenterhooks, please! Put me out of my misery and tell me everything. My imagination is absolutely running riot- it has been all night.'

Emily stopped staring at the ceiling, propped herself up on one elbow, looked Naomi in the face with a miserable expression and finally brought her girlfriend up to speed on the latest crisis to rock the Fitch family boat.

'She's only gone and got fired from her job, Naoms. Can you believe it?'

Naomi's mouth shot open and she shut her eyes in disbelief. 'Fired? How come? I thought she was doing really well? She was always going on about how important her job was, how great her boss thought she was, how expensive her company car was, blah blah blah.'

'I know. But she said she was really unhappy living at home with Mum and Dad. She said whenever she brought up the subject of moving out and finding her own place Mum just went ape and begged her not to leave, went on about it for hours. Katie said she used to stay out after work drinking with her friends in the firm – night after night. Even when the others had all left she would carry on drinking on her own just to avoid going home and face Mum doing her head in all the time.'

'Jesus! I think I can guess the rest,' said Naomi with a sympathetic sigh as she reached for Emily's hand to hold and comfort. Emily nodded and continued.

'Before long she had got a real drink problem. She tried to hide it at work but it didn't take them long to find out. She even used to turn up pissed sometimes at exhibitions and conferences. They tried to help her but she kept denying she even had a problem. In the end they gave up on her and sacked her for gross misconduct.'

'Let me guess,' said Naomi for whom it didn't require a huge leap of imagination to speculate on how Katie's problem had escalated to the current level of seriousness. 'Getting the sack made her twice as miserable and depressed than she was before so she drank all the more to try to forget how she'd fucked up her brilliant career.'

Emily nodded and Naomi put her arms around the redhead and gave her an enormous hug. Naomi did feel genuinely sorry for Katie even though in her opinion the stupid cow had brought the whole sorry mess on herself. She wondered if perhaps she had let her rapid rise to success go to her head and had begun to believe her own publicity too much. She also suspected that Katie might not have gone off the rails to anything like the same degree if Emily had been around more often, keeping a close eye on her and making sure she didn't get ahead of herself too much. She couldn't help feeling a sudden uncomfortable pang of guilt that her insistence that Emily should follow her to Oxford for her year's doctorate studies might have contributed in some small measure to Katie's sense of loneliness and misery at having to bear the considerable brunt of Jenna's suffocating presence in the Fitch family home.

'So what are you going to do? Did you come up with a plan to help sort herself out?'

'Well, the one thing she just can't face is the thought of going back home and coming clean to Mum and Dad so…' and Emily paused for a while, nervously anxious about the reaction she might get from Naomi to her next suggestion.

'So…..what?' asked Naomi, her face heavy with dread at what she guessed Emily was coming out with next.

'So…. I said she should stay with us a bit longer until we had either helped her to get off the booze or she felt ready and willing to face up to Mum and Dad and sort herself out back home with their help.'

Naomi inwardly let out a scream of deafening and agonising proportions whilst outwardly she just stared silently down at the duvet whilst Emily looked anxiously at her girlfriend waiting for her to explode in a fit of resentment and refuse point blank to go along with her plan. But much as the prospect of continuing to share a roof with Katie for the foreseeable future filled her with huge trepidation and many reservations, Naomi couldn't bear to upset Emily so much by washing her hands of Katie so callously and heartlessly.

'Okay, I guess so,' she heard herself replying in a voice which sounded strangely unfamiliar and immediately had the stuffing almost knocked out of her by an overjoyed Emily who let out a shriek of delight and threw her arms around Naomi's shoulders and buried her tearful face in her girlfriend's neck. She proceeded to smother Naomi with kisses all over and the blonde laughingly lapped up Emily's passionate gratitude with all the generosity of spirit that such a show of self-sacrifice rightly deserved.

'Okay, okay, babes,' she protested, still laughing as Emily had practically pinned her to the bed and was threatening to ravage her body to within an inch of its life. 'Let's take this undying gratitude thing a little bit more slow and easy, shall we?' and she persuaded a still excitable and manic Emily to take a couple of deep breaths to get over her anxiety and calm herself down. Soon, however, the two girls fell into each other's arms and slowly and gently began to explore and please with eager mouths, lips, tongues and fingers every nook and cranny of each other's bodies in their usual relaxed, sweet and romantic fashion.

**PART 3**

A crisp knock at the door startled Dr Hobson momentarily and made her look up from her desk where she had been studiously poring over autopsy reports. Ordinarily she disliked being interrupted at her work especially when she was focused on the critical task of interpreting the vast array of forensic information presented to her but on seeing DI Lewis standing in the doorway she broke out into a smile and welcomed him in. Any day that began with an unexpected visit from Robbie promised to be a good day in her book.

'So to what do I owe the pleasure of your company so early in the morning?' she said with a twinkle in her eye as she swung round in her comfortable swivel chair and contemplated the inspector thoughtfully.

'I need to pick your brains,' said Lewis with a grimace as he pulled over an adjacent chair and sat down next to her.

'Good luck,' replied Laura with a rueful grin. 'I'm not sure there's much left to pick.'

'Well, not really pick your brains as such, more like run something past you, as the popular saying goes nowadays. A rather delicate matter, you might say.'

Laura was curious and leant forward conspiratorially in a gesture designed to encourage DI Lewis to reveal all. 'That sounds terribly intriguing. Do tell.'

Lewis gave out a small sigh and puffed out his cheeks. 'It's Hathaway,' he said and his expression signified beyond any doubt that it wasn't going to be pleasant news.

'The divine sergeant?' said Hobson, staring at Lewis in surprise. 'What's he been up to, then?' She couldn't imagine what Sgt Hathaway could possibly have done to be causing Robbie such obvious concern. The two detectives were an odd double act, it was true, everyone commented on that, but utterly loyal to each other and their individual strengths, peculiarities and idiosyncrasies complemented each other wonderfully. Truly they were a living example in the complex world of crime detection of the whole being greater than the sum of their parts.

'More like _who_ he's been up to,' Lewis frowned and proceeded to fill Laura on the recent developments involving Hathaway, Effy and Cook.

'Ah, I see what you mean,' said Laura, taking a little time to digest the complicated position that Hathaway had recklessly put himself in as far as Lewis was concerned. 'So what are you planning to do about it? You're not going to kick him off the case, are you?'

'That's what I can't decide. I mean, clearly he's been a bit of a prat getting involved with this Effy Stonem girl. I reckon they've been seeing each other outside of work hours more or less from the moment she arrived in Oxford.'

'But is she really a suspect for the murders? Surely you don't think she's your killer, do you?' Laura could see that Hathaway's recent close friendship with this Effy woman might have opened himself up to the risk of inadvertently divulging certain harmless facts about the case in the old-fashioned pillow talk scenario but she didn't believe he was compromising the whole investigation by getting into bed, literally or figuratively, with a ruthless serial killer.

'I can't see it myself even if she had the opportunity to commit all three murders. Where's her motive? She didn't know any of the victims as far as we can establish. No, I don't think Hathaway's putting his life in danger spending time with her outside of work. Mind you, it wouldn't exactly be a first if he was getting all cosy and lovey-dovey with a killer.'

Laura cast her mind back over the past five years and suddenly recalled with an involuntary shiver one rather close shave when Hathaway had diced with death at the hands of someone who turned out to be a ruthless serial killer 'God, yes, I remember! You only just got to him in time to save him from being burned alive, didn't you?'

.

Lewis nodded and grimaced again. 'Then there was that posh bird from his childhood days who had him wrapped around her little finger and nearly screwed up our entire investigation.'

Hobson fell silent as she realised that Robbie had a point – James Hathaway did have irrefutable form for getting mixed up occasionally with the wrong women in a murder investigation. 'But isn't she going back home now? Surely she'll soon be out of the picture and Hathaway can go back to being the normal boring, single-minded, work-obsessed detective he was before?'

Lewis grinned at Laura's description of Hathaway's former persona before he had been lured away and distracted by Effy's undeniable charms. 'What, you mean like me?'

'No, I didn't say that. Don't put words in my mouth, Robbie.' She pretended to give him an angry, admonishing look but knew he was only joking, in that typically self-deprecating way of his which never ceased to charm the knickers off her.

'By rights I ought to tell Innocent,' he said switching effortlessly from a wicked smile to a thoroughly gloomy expression as the thought of letting his Chief Super in on his so far unsubstantiated fears filled him with dread.

'Oh, you can't do that!' said Hobson, appalled at the idea of getting the hard as nails, by the book Innocent involved. That would be the end to James's glittering career or at the very least would bring to a shuddering halt his rapid rise in the force.

'She'd have him for breakfast,' admitted Lewis. 'Well, I'm going to be putting a tail on this Effy Stonem for the next few days to see if she leads us to this Cook character who keeps slipping through our fingers. Maybe that way I'll be able to protect him from any more indiscretions before they happen.'

Robbie got up from his chair and made his way slowly over towards the door, feeling much better in his own mind just for having a close friend and colleague to talk things over with, someone whom he could trust to speak her mind and give an honest opinion without having to worry about her going behind his back to his superiors. 'Thanks, Laura,' he said, stopping in the doorway and smiling appreciatively at her.

'For what?' Hobson replied. 'I didn't do anything.'

'Yes, you did. You listened. That's a very rare quality these days. Promise me you'll never lose it.' His eyes softened as they gazed across at the good doctor and seemed to be pouring out waves of thanks for her kindness and support for his dilemma.

Laura almost blushed with embarrassment which she quickly covered up by shooing him away with a gesture of her hands, implying that he should bugger off now and let her get on with her work when really she'd have been thrilled to bits if he could have found an excuse to stay and be with her all day.

**PART 4**

The hunched up figure at the back of the small potting shed let out a huge yawn and stretched out his arms to shake off the early morning weariness, only to bang his hands sharply and painfully against the walls of the shed, causing him to emit a short violent expletive as he felt an acute throbbing in his hands. He knew he had to find better accommodation than this. It was okay for the first night but he would have to find an alternative hiding place whilst still remaining close at hand. As makeshift lodgings went this was hardly in the three star bracket of Freddie's old shed. It was barely half the size to begin with and had none of the luxuries of a battered old sofa, comfortable if somewhat worn old blankets and dustsheets and en suite toilet facilities afforded by Freddie's plastic containers.

It was dry and not nearly as cold and miserable as he had thought it was going to be but it was hard to get comfortable for any prolonged length of time and he had it in mind that he might have to hole up for a couple of days and nights at least before he might be in a position to grab another opportunity to complete his mission. He sat up and lit a cigarette. He found that a shot of nicotine or preferably something with a bit more edge and bite usually cleared his mind wonderfully and helped him focus on the essentials. As he sat there and puffed away on his ciggie he ran through the various options open to him and quickly settled on the one that seemed the most achievable and offered him both of the twin objectives of a safe haven and proximity to the object of his attention that he craved.

The question was: how soon could he gain access. Well, there was only one way to find out and it wasn't going to be achieved by him lying around in a grotty old shed all morning. He had to spring into action and demonstrate that he hadn't lost any of his old resourcefulness and ingenuity. He would have to take a risk and pop his head over the parapet for a short while to see how the land lay. He hauled himself to his feet, took a final drag on his cigarette and walked over to the door, gently and slowly pushing it open and peering out into the sunlit garden. He dug a hand into his jacket and dug out his sunglasses, putting them on. Now he felt like a modern day James Bond, now he could reprise his rightful role as the spy who came in from the cold. He was ready for action and on full alert for all consequences. He knew exactly where he was heading for and he basked in the smug conviction that the police would never think of looking for him there.


	19. Chapter 19

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Effy is given a hard time by DI Lewis down at the police station but is allowed to leave without any charges. Emily tells Naomi that Katie revealed in their late night chat that she got fired from her job because of alcoholism. Emily is determined to help Katie kick the booze and sort her life out again. Lewis agonises over what to do about Hathaway's close relationship with Effy and goes to see Dr Hobson to chew the matter over with a friendly face. Someone is spending the night hiding in the shed in Naomi and Emily's garden but has their sights set on a more permanent and convenient hideout.

**CHAPTER NINEEEN: **

**PART 1**

When Naomi came downstairs after her shower and went into the kitchen she was shocked to see Emily leaning over the sink pouring the remains of a bottle of wine and a bottle of Bacardi down the plughole.

'Ems! What the fuck are you doing?' she cried out in astonishment even though it was blatantly obvious why Emily was chucking away perfectly good booze.

'We can't leave any alcohol lying around in the house, Naoms. It would be too much of a temptation for poor Katie. I promised her we would help her to get off the booze and that has to start right now.'

Emily looked at Naomi with a steely determination in her eyes and a pugnacious setting of her jaws as if she was prepared to take any number of blows on the chin before anyone could knock her off course from keeping her solemn promise to her sister. Naomi was gobsmacked to find that Emily clearly intended that the two of them should also go on the wagon with Katie in sympathy. This possibility hadn't occurred to her earlier that morning when Emily had pleaded with her to agree to Katie staying on with them so that Emily could set about getting her off the booze.

'But surely we don't need to pour every bit of booze down the bloody drain? Can't we just hide all the bottles somewhere so Katie can't find them? This is a bit over the top, isn't it? I mean, why should _we_ both have to go dry as well as her? We're not the ones with the problem!' The thought of not only having to put up with Katie living with them for God knows how long but even worse giving up drinking at home filled Naomi with such demoralising dread that it almost gave her the shakes.

Emily was really disappointed to hear her girlfriend talk .like that and show such scant understanding of the seriousness of Katie's problem and the drastic measures that would have to be taken to help her sister out. 'Oh, come on, Naoms! Be realistic! You know that would never work.'

'Why not?' said an exasperated Naomi, desperately trying to hang on to the slender notion that they could still safely keep some alcohol within comfortable reach but out of Katie's grasping clutches. I bet I can come up with some brilliant hiding places that she'll never guess in a million years.'

Emily shook her head. 'You've got no chance, babe. It's going to be a long, painful process for Katie and it'll take time for her to accept what she's got to do. If we just hide all the bottles you know as well as I do as soon as she's left alone in the house she'll be tearing the place apart trying to find out where we've hidden them.'

'She might not find them,' said Naomi but her voice lacked conviction and deep down she instinctively knew Emily was right.

'She would! I bet anyone on the wagon who was weakening and suspected there was booze in the house would be able to sniff it out in minutes. Their nose would lead them to where it was hidden. No, the only way to stop her from drinking in the house to begin with is not to have any alcohol here at all.'

'That's pretty cruel and drastic, Ems,' and for a brief few seconds Naomi almost felt truly sorry for Katie. She would go out of her tiny mind, the blonde thought, although she could also imagine herself being forced to become a secret drinker in her own house if Emily's ban on home alcohol consumption lasted too long. What a ridiculous state of affairs! What on earth possessed her to agree to Katie staying on with them? Damn Emily and her persuasive sexual charms! It felt like Katie was going to drag her down to the gutter along with her if she got half a chance.

'I know but it's for her own good. She won't understand at first but I'm sure she will eventually. I'm also going to drag her along to an AA clinic in a day or two.'

'Fuck!' Naomi realised now just how serious Emily was about getting Katie off the booze. 'You'll never get her to go, Ems. Not a hope in hell.'

'Oh yes I will, even if I have to drag her kicking and screaming down there, I bloody well will, Naoms. I'm going to do everything possible to help her and if that means physically forcing her to confront her own demons and face up to the truth, then so be it. Besides until you can be honest with yourself and openly admit you've got a problem, how the hell can you expect to deal with it?'

Fair enough, thought Naomi, as she went to switch the kettle on and make a cup of coffee. 'Okay, so you've chucked away all the booze here but what's stopping Katie from going out and getting pissed again at a pub or buying a bottle of something at an off licence? Even you can't be with her 24/7.'

'She'll still need money to buy alcohol, Naoms and I've got her credit cards and cash card,' she replied, waving them in her hand almost triumphantly at Naomi although there didn't appear to be an ounce of glee or satisfaction in her face as she did do. She wasn't enjoying having to be so mean and heartless to her sister but to her way of thinking desperate times demanded desperate measures.

'Oh my God! She'll go absolutely ape when she finds out!' Naomi had put her hands to her mouth in disbelief at Emily's impressive ruthlessness and efficiency in carrying out her plan. She closed her eyes as she valiantly suppressed a huge belly laugh as she imagined Katie going totally insane with rage at being treated like a seven year old child who couldn't be trusted to spend her pocket money wisely instead of frittering it away on sweets, chocolate and anything else that was bad for her such as hard liquor.

**PART 2**

Professor Eleanor Greaves gave a cheery greeting to the scout of Lonsdale College as she arrived for work and made her way up the stairs towards her rooms where she was due to take a seminar in half an hour. It was a beautiful morning and she was in good humour. She had slept well, which had not always been the case in recent months and she had treated herself for once to a hearty breakfast on the way in. She liked the students in this morning's seminar, they were a pretty bright and interesting bunch on the whole and they usually fired her with enthusiasm and got her intellectual juices flowing which she found sadly didn't happen quite as much as in years gone by. So when she said a warm good morning to her secretary on the run and headed straight on for the door of her study she was a touch irritated to be held up for a moment or two to take receipt of a small parcel that had been addressed to the Head of the Politics Department and left in the post room.

'I'm sorry, Professor Greaves,' said Janet Watson, her perpetually nervous and excited but terribly efficient PA, 'but this would seem to be for you, although it's not actually addressed to you personally which is a little odd. Were you expecting a parcel?'

Eleanor Greaves looked at it curiously and shook her head slowly. 'Not that I'm aware of,' she said, stopping to put her bag down on the floor and pick up the parcel that Janet was holding out for her. 'It can't be a surprise birthday present, can it? That's not until next month,' smiled Janet helpfully as she watched Eleanor calmly break open and tear away the brown paper to get to the contents. With an inquisitive Janet in close attendance Eleanor Greaves took out a small square box and exchanged an amused, puzzled look with Janet before proceeding to open the lid of the box and glance inside.

She stared at the inside of the box for a second or two as if totally baffled by its contents before letting out a scream of horror and disgust. She put the box rapidly down on to the desk that the two women were standing by, turned her head away and put her hands to her mouth. She looked like she was going to be sick but Eleanor Greaves was made of pretty stern stuff and within a few moments she had recovered her customary poise and composure. Janet was shocked to see the professor's reaction and was naturally bursting with curiosity to see what had caused it so she instinctively leaned towards the box to see for herself what it was that had caused such distress and shock.

'No!' shouted Eleanor and picked up the box off the table before Janet had quite managed to take a good look at the contents. 'It's horrible, Janet. You really don't want to see it, trust me. Call the police immediately, please. They need to see this and take it away.'

'What on earth is it, Professor?' asked Janet who had turned pale at Professor Greaves' serious expression and the sharpness of her command and was already dialling the requisite number with trembling hands. 'Has someone played a terrible joke on you?'

'I'm afraid this is no laughing matter, Janet. This is deadly serious and very, very sick.' Eleanor replaced the lid on the box, carefully placed it back in its wrapping paper and then stood there holding the reconstituted parcel and looked around the room, seemingly desperately keen to relinquish hold of it as soon as she could find somewhere safe to put it until the police could arrive and take the revolting item off her hands. She decided the best place for it was in the small safe in the corner of her secretary's office and within a minute she had opened the safe, placed the parcel inside and locked the safe, pocketing the key that Janet had provided to her. She was determined that Janet should not have the opportunity to satisfy her burning curiosity and open the box the second she was left alone in the room – the poor nervous girl would probably throw up on the spot before passing out with shock and terror if she ever saw what was inside the box.

**PART 3**

Cook was not a guy renowned for his calm patience so he was getting near the end of his tether and irritability level waiting for the house to be clear before he could make his move. From his vantage point high up in one of the trees in the woods just a stone's throw from the house where the leafy profusion of foliage afforded him ample cover from being seen, he had observed everyone leave the house in turn with the one exception of JJ. Not for the first time JJ was threatening to throw a spanner in the works.

Emily had shot off on her scooter with what appeared to Cook even from a distance to be an extremely sulky and miserable-looking Katie hanging on to her sister's waist from behind. He had then watched Naomi scuttle off on her bike, presumably heading for college and Effy leave on foot, headed for he knew not where. He was so tempted for one brief moment to climb down from the tree and follow her but fought hard to resist the temptation, knowing that it wouldn't be safe for him to be seen on the streets in broad daylight with half of the Oxford constabulary still looking for him.

'Come on, Jaykins, for fuck's sake, get your arse into gear and move your sorry carcass out of bed, you lazy git' he said to himself as he smoked a cigarette and balanced precariously yet without any visible concern on a branch of the tree. If he didn't show up soon he might be reduced to phoning him up and asking him to meet him somewhere as a ruse just to get him out of the house. Cook was keen though to stay under the radar and keep his plans for the next few days well under wraps so such a course of action was very much a last resort, final throw of the dice option.

Fortunately for Cook JJ emerged through the front door with Harvey in tow on a lead not more than fifteen minutes after the girls had departed and took off on foot at a brisk purposeful pace looking like a man who was anxious to get to his destination without undue delay. Cook waited until JJ was out of sight and clearly wasn't going to return because he had forgotten something before skilfully climbing down from the tree and swiftly and stealthily making his way across the road and into the back garden. Once arriving at the back door it took him all of a minute's work to unpick the lock and gain entrance to the kitchen. Cook had learnt a number of important and useful life skills during his brief spell in prison, one of which was how to pick a lock and he was grateful that this particular lock didn't pose any special problems for him.

He made his way through the kitchen, up the stairs and onto the landing and surveyed the logistics of his next move. A ladder or at least a chair was required and a quick search of the bedrooms produced a study chair onto which he clambered and looked above him at the ceiling. He could just about comfortably reach the trap door of the attic with outstretched arms without needing to stand precariously on tiptoes and seconds later he had opened the door and hauled himself up and into the attic with a modicum of effort and strength. It was pitch black up there as was to be expected but one strike of a match from the box he always carried with him even though he had his own lighter lit up the musty, slightly damp attic and enabled him to locate the light switch on a beam to the side of the trap door. He looked around for a minute and nodded approvingly. Yes, as he had suspected this would be an infinitely more comfortable and convenient hiding place for the next couple of days than that grotty, filthy old shed in the back garden. There was far more room and considerably less chance of being discovered, he reckoned. Plus he had easy access to the rest of the house when it was empty as it was now and he intended to take full advantage of the current situation.

First he had to secure his access to and from the loft. It had been a stroke of luck when he had crashed out in the shed the previous night that he had come across a length of rope curled up in the corner and it had given him the idea of seeking a more permanent refuge in the attic. He fastened the rope firmly to the beam nearest to the trap door with a couple of tight knots and lowered the rope over the edge and let it drop down towards the landing, the rope falling just a few feet short of the floor. It was a piece of piss for him to grip the rope with his hands and knees and slide down it, just like he used to do in the gym during PE classes at middle school, the only classes he genuinely remembered enjoying. He did a practice run of climbing up the rope to get back into the attic which although trickier and requiring more effort was still a relative walk in the park for a fit and athletic chap like him.

With his escape route now secured Cook felt confident enough to return the chair to its former position in the bedroom and roam around the empty house at will.

He was feeling famished, not having eaten anything since early the previous evening and so he made the kitchen his first port of call. He made straight for the fridge and opened the door. 'Now then, girls, let's see what you've bought for my breakfast,' he said aloud. He had reasoned that a household comprised mainly of girls living together was bound to have a fridge full of appetising supplies whereas if it had been a bunch of guys sharing the house the fridge might have been disappointingly bare save for a stack of cold beer. He was relieved to see that he was not wrong despite there being a few too many healthy green items for his liking. 'Jesus!' he muttered, shaking his head disapprovingly. 'What is it with you girls and your fucking rabbit food?'

He helped himself to two or three slices of ham and some ripe tomatoes, then located the bread bin and within a few minutes he had made two enormous doorstopper ham and tomato sandwiches, liberally covering the fillings with hot French mustard and adding some spring onions. To that he added a few slabs of chunky dark chocolate from a half eaten bar lying in the fridge and an orange from the fruit bowl on the kitchen table. He then thought about lunch and the possibility that he might not have free rein of the house all day and so he grabbed a couple of mini pork pies from a pack of six, a can of coke and a large bottle of water before putting the Red Cross food parcel into a plastic bag he found lying on top of the fridge and making his way back upstairs. He gently lobbed the bag of food up through the open gap and climbed up the dangling rope and crossed the threshold of his new third floor bijou residence. He pulled the rope up and half closed the trap door, propping it open a few inches with a small piece of wood which he had found lying on the floor of the attic. Satisfied that he was prepared for all eventualities, including the unexpected return of any of the girls or JJ, Cook stretched out on the floor and tucked in to his makeshift breakfast ravenously as he plotted in his mind how the next day or two would ideally be played out.

**PART 4**

'Do either of you know who delivered the parcel?' DI Lewis turned to Professor Greaves and her secretary Janet and waited patiently for a response.

'I….I…..I've no idea,' said Janet, nervously wringing her fingers as she looked at Eleanor for support. 'I just…I just…. found it in the post room when I arrived this morning and brought it up for the Professor. I imagine it must have been the postman.'

'The parcel has obviously been hand delivered,' explained Sgt Hathaway. 'There's no evidence it has gone through the postal system.'

'Well, then I imagine it was just left here by whoever delivered it, Sergeant,' said Eleanor, anxious to spare Janet any further anxiety. She could see the poor girl was positively petrified by the ordeal of the police questioning her.

'How easy would it have been for someone to get in the post room, Professor?' Lewis had given up on asking timid little Janet and turned to the older, more composed and reliable Professor Greaves for helpful information.

'I would say very easy if you lived or worked in the college. Not so easy if you didn't. You would have to get past our head porter, George Cromwell, first. He's a difficult man to hoodwink, I would say. Very experienced, been here for years.'

'But not impossible?'

'No, of course, nothing is impossible, Inspector. If you're very determined and resourceful, that is. And I suppose the person who sent this…..package to me must have been both to have been prepared to run such a high risk of being seen or challenged.'

'What about this note that was inside the box? 'Cowards die many times before their deaths' Does it mean anything to you?'

Professor Greaves shook her head apologetically. Sgt Hathaway held out a hand to have a look at the note that Lewis was holding and took it from him then studied it thoughtfully. 'I think it's from Shakespeare, Sir,' he whispered to Lewis. 'Can't remember which play but I can check.'

Lewis groaned audibly. 'Shakespeare! It bloody would be! That's all we need, some obscure bloomin' literary connection to all this murder and mayhem.' Lewis had detested Shakespeare at school whereas Hathaway had been a big fan which caused Lewis the occasional unease about the merits of having a sensitive soul, a classical scholar like Hathaway helping him to hunt down ruthless, psychopathic, occasionally intellectually subnormal killers most of whom wouldn't know their Shakespeare from their Dickens, let alone their arse from their elbow.

Professor Greaves brought them back from musings on 16the century literature to the present day with a question directed at the two detectives. 'Do I take it that the…contents of this package are connected to your murder investigation in some way?'

'You are correct, Professor,' said Lewis with a quick look at Janet who although seemingly staring intently at him seemed from the gazed expression on her face to be in her own dream world and not really paying much attention. 'They belonged to the last victim, a man called Simon Harvey who was churchwarden at Saint Saviours Church. Did either of you know him?'

Eleanor shook her head. 'I'm afraid not, Inspector. Janet, did you know a Simon Harvey from Saint Saviours?'

The frightened rabbit stared up at Professor Greaves as if staggered at being asked such a question before looking across at Lewis and Hathaway, her face as white as a sheet, and shaking her head vigorously from side to side. 'No,' she whispered, 'I'm terribly sorry but….. I've never heard of him.'

'Professor Greaves, can you think of any reason why someone should want to send you this parcel?'

Eleanor stared bewildered at Inspector Lewis and shook her head confidently. 'Absolutely not. It is beyond my comprehension why anyone would want to do this.

'Do you have any enemies that you know of, Professor? Can you think of anyone who might want to harm you at all?'

The bewildered professor stared at Sgt Hathaway as if she couldn't believe her ears. Harm me? No, why should anyone want to harm me? I haven't done anything that would make someone want to…..do something g like this. It's unthinkable, sergeant. Why? Do you think my life is in danger?'

Lewis and Hathaway exchanged awkward, hesitant glances before Lewis answered her. 'The last two victims were both sent parcels like this, Professor, before they were killed. Or, at least, parcels similar to this one turned up at the place of work of both the last victims.'

Eleanor looked aghast at the information Lewis had decided with serious misgivings and a heavy heart to reveal to her but she did have a right to know the potential danger she might be in. But if she was shocked to hear this news she recovered her composure remarkably quickly and her reply was delivered in a defiant and confident tone that revealed a woman who was not easily frightened or knocked out of her stride by a little thing like a possible threat of physical violence against her person.

'Well, whoever it is had better be jolly sure he knows what he's doing because I shall be ready for him now and I know how to look after myself, Inspector. I was a judo black belt when I was a young girl, you know, so I can take care of myself. I don't take any prisoners, you can be sure of that. If he comes knocking at my door looking to add me to his list he might get a nasty shock and find out he's bitten off more than he can chew.'

Inspector Lewis and Sgt Hathaway both grinned broadly as they stood and admired Professor Greaves' stirring battle speech. Neither of them doubted for a second that the cool, commanding, impressive figure of Professor Eleanor Greaves was more than capable of handling herself in a fight. They were just a bit concerned that their killer might turn up with rather more lethally dangerous weapons than the good professor's quick hands and feet.

After they had left Lonsdale College Hathaway had a quizzical frown on his face which the eagle-eyed Lewis spotted instantly. 'What's up, James?' he asked.

'I'm not sure, Sir. Something's not quite right. Do you really think Professor Greaves could be the killer's next target?'

'Well, the pattern of our killer would seem to indicate she could be. Every time he's killed so far he's sent a part of the victim's body to the place where his next victim works. So that would tend to suggest Professor Greaves could be the next victim. Or maybe even her secretary Janet. Mind you, all the victims to date have been male so that would be a bit of a departure from the trend.'

Sgt Hathaway didn't seem totally convinced by Lewis's explanation, logical and entirely worthy though it was and his brow furrowed as he continued his thought processes until he was confident enough to put them into words. 'Except…maybe the next victim has already been murdered, Sir.'

Lewis looked at Hathaway thoroughly bewildered and confused. 'You're talking in riddles, man!' The inspector's broad native Geordie accent always came out at its strongest and most appealing when he hadn't got a clue what someone was talking about 'You're going to have to do better than that if you want me to understand what you're blathering on about.'

Hathaway proceeded to expand on his hitherto vague theory in more detail, using his fingers to spell out his point. 'The first victim, Dr Martin, Politics lecturer at Lonsdale College - his head was cut off and sent to the Oxford Herald where the next victim Stephen Wells worked as Chief Editor. His heart was cut out by our killer and left at St Saviour's church where our third victim, the churchwarden Simon Harvey worked His testicles were removed and sent to…'

'Lonsdale College where our first victim worked!' interrupted Lewis who had worked out what Hathaway was leading up to. 'By God, you could be right, Hathaway. It's not so much a case of our killer completing the square as completing the triangle.'

'So maybe Professor Greaves or anyone else at Lonsdale College isn't in danger of being the killer's next victim because he's already been taken care of. We've gone full circle, ending up right where we started, Sir.'

Lewis stopped dead in his excitement, causing Hathaway almost to trip up over him. 'Which means that these three victims were possibly the only targets our murderer had in mind right from the beginning? These three men and they alone are connected in some way with the killer- probably in a way that nobody else knows about. Their connection is so deeply hidden, so personal and private that we've only been scratching the surface trying to get at it. We need to dig deeper, far deeper than just obvious possibilities like belonging to the same club or group or having met each other once years ago and never having seen each other again.'

Hathaway nodded in agreement. He could see that they would have to widen the scope of their investigations, delve deeper into the backgrounds of these three men who on the surface appeared to be complete strangers to each other but who must have shared a deadly connection, a terrifying common bond or experience that had sealed their horrific fate, possibly many years ago that was inevitably going to lead to their ultimate brutal murder one day. But what could that connection possibly be?

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

Do you have any clever or even plain fanciful and outrageous theories or gut feelings as to what the connection between the three victims could be? Are Lewis & Hathaway on the right track with their thinking? Or could they have made a terrible miscalculation and in fact there will be more murders to follow? I would love to hear from some of you with your thoughts and ideas! My mind is still open to some extent on how precisely this story will finish – I have a couple of options open to me so let me have your suggestions – I might be persuaded to use one of them!


	20. Chapter 20

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Naomi is horrified to find Emily pouring all the alcohol in the house down the kitchen sink as Emily begins her campaign to help Katie give up the booze. Cook waits until everyone has left the house to break in, raid the fridge and set up his temporary home in the attic. The severed testicles of the last murder victim are found by Professor Greaves in a box addressed to the Head of Politics at Lonsdale College. A quote from Shakespeare is found with the testicles, leading Lewis and Hathaway to wonder if Eleanor may be the next victim on the list.

**CHAPTER TWENTY: **

**PART 1**

'So, Emily, how's your murder story going?' asked Susie Peters as she sat down on the edge of Emily's desk, revealing a generous amount of smooth, bronzed, shapely thigh and a dazzling smile, both of which were directed at a nervous Emily who was momentarily taken aback by the chief editor's forwardness and lack of inhibition.

'Um….okay, I guess, Miss Peters,' replied Emily diffidently, not quite knowing whether to sound confident or reserved as to the progress of her story. In truth it was in danger of fizzling out a little and she was aware it desperately needed a different slant or some shocking new revelations to give it life and to sustain it into a second week of major coverage.

'Susie, please,' her boss reminded her gently. 'I told you, I don't stand on ceremony with my staff. Mr Wells may have liked to keep a professional distance at all times and be incredibly formal and correct but I like to run a relaxed, friendly, informal ship.'

'Sorry, Susie,' said Emily smiling shyly at Susie before falling silent, not sure if she should take the lead and suggest a new direction to explore or should wait for her boss to speak.

'Let's see what you've got so far,' said Susie, hopping down from the desk and coming round to stand alongside Emily. She bent down and leaned forward to take a close look at Emily's PC whilst very casually draping an arm around the nervous redhead's shoulders. Emily trembled slightly and felt the tiniest of shivers shoot up her spine as she felt Susie's arm and hand make gentle contact with her body. She was sure Susie's actions were intended as nothing more than an affectionate, friendly innocent gesture, the sort of thing that would have happened between employee and boss in thousands of offices up and down the country every day of the week.

And yet Susie standing so close to her, carefully reading her script on the computer screen, seemed to suggest a certain familiarity and closeness between the two women that Emily didn't realise she had earned the right to expect at this early stage of their new working relationship. She could feel the sweet freshness of Susie's breath and the delightful aroma of her clearly expensive perfume fill her nostrils and make them twitch. Emily dared to raise her head and look up at Susie to gauge her reaction to the piece that Emily was in the course of drafting and was relieved to see that there wasn't a look of disappointment on Susie's face.

'Not bad, not bad,' said the chief editor, nodding pensively and she patted Emily softly on her left shoulder. 'But I think we need to give it a bit more oomph, my dear. I think you need to dig a little deeper and try to uncover a new angle. Do we know how the police investigation is going? Do they have any suspects? What clues are they working on? That sort of thing, you know.'

Emily's heart was thumping and her palms were sweating a little for more reasons than just the normal discomfort suffered by an employee having their boss literally standing over them and running a heavily critical eye over their work. 'Yes, you're absolutely right, Susie,' she heard herself saying although her voice sounded strangely miles away from her mouth. 'I was thinking that myself only just now before you came over.' She hoped she wasn't coming across as too sycophantic and arse-licking but it was the truth, she had been thinking along the same lines as Susie.

'Why don't you try to use your 'contacts' with the murder investigation team and find us a real scoop, Emily?' Susie winked at Emily as she gazed down upon the flustered redhead with a knowing, conspiratorial smile hovering playfully across her full red lips.

'How do you mean _contacts_?' asked Emily with a blank expression.

'Well,' said Susie, taking her arm off Emily's shoulder and returning to her position on the desk, crossing her legs as she sat down and showing her off her long, slim legs without a hint of embarrassment, 'as I understand it, don't you know the detective sergeant on the case quite well?'

Emily considered the implications of Susie's question before replying. 'Not really. I've only met him a few times and the last couple of occasions were when he and the Inspector questioned all of us after Mr Wells' body was found.'

'But don't you have a friend staying with you who's been….well, shall we say spending quite a lot of time with this detective sergeant recently?'

Emily couldn't help letting out a slight gasp of surprise. How the hell did Susie know about Effy seeing Sgt Hathaway outside work? She couldn't remember having mentioned it to Susie in any of their previous conversations so how did she find out? Emily looked at Susie Peters with increased fascination and admiration. The chief editor must have a lot of contacts around town to have found out about Effy and DS Hathaway's secret budding relationship.

'Well, yes, I suppose Effy has been seeing Sgt Hathaway quite a bit since she's been here. But I still don't see…' but she got no further as Susie spelled it out for her in no uncertain terms.

'Perhaps you could have a quiet word with your friend and suggest she tries to find out how the investigation's going? Nothing too heavy, mind you. It doesn't pay to be too direct in this job, you know? A little bit of ingenuity and subtlety is what's required sometimes. I'm sure your friend could use her feminine charms to prise some useful information out of the good sergeant if she puts her mind to it. Do you follow me, Emily?'

Emily followed Susie very well indeed but she didn't feel particularly comfortable with her boss's suggestion of using Effy to worm confidential information out of DS Hathaway. Susie could sense from Emily's abrupt silence and the way she had instantly hung her head and stared down at the desk in front of her that her young protégé would need some persuading to go along with her idea.

'You know, Emily, it's a pretty tough, uncompromising business we're in. Sometimes you have to take a few risks, go that extra yard to steal a march on our competitors. You also have to be prepared to do one or two things that you might not be totally comfortable with in principle but are necessary to get to the truth of a story. And ultimately, it's the truth that we're interested in. It's the search for the truth which is at the core of our job, the reason why we do what we do. If not, then why bother at all?'

Susie's words reverberated around Emily's head as she mulled them over and digested every syllable, every nuance, indeed the whole damn essence of her argument. 'I'll do my best, Susie,' she said as she stared up at Susie from her chair.

'I know you will, sweetie. I know I can rely on you to do what's right, to do what's necessary to get at the very heart of this story.. Because I have great faith in you, Emily, and I'm confident you'll rise to the occasion and prove I'm right to put so much store by you.' With that vote of confidence in her young rising star delivered in such inspirational fashion, Susie Peters jumped down gracefully from Emily's desk, gave the redhead a sweet, beguiling, almost hypnotic smile and moved sinuously and stealthily back to her office.

**PART 2**

Katie dramatically threw her pen down on the desk in frustration and acute boredom, watched it bounce up against the computer screen with a sharp crack and rebound on to the floor behind her chair and then promptly swore violently out loud. Her momentary temper tantrum attracted the usual assortment of venomous glares, patronising tutting and sighs of despair from the other patrons in the room whose intense concentration had been so inconsiderately disturbed by this unnecessary show of childish petulance.

'Shhhhhh!' came forth the urgent requests from on all sides of Katie to which she responded with a well-judged retort. 'Oh, shush yourselves, you bunch of boring tossers! I never wanted to come into this stupid library anyway.' She stood up, grabbed her notebook, bent down to pick up the pen from the floor and did a very good job of flouncing out of the room with a contemptible sneer at all the shocked faces that had looked up in shock at her far from apologetic reaction to their very reasonable demands for silence. She couldn't be arsed to close down the web page she had been on and just left the computer as it was for one of the staff to clear up after her as she stormed out of the library entrance and into the street.

As if by some creepy kind of sixth sense Katie's mobile rang no sooner had she set foot outside the library and she let out a strangled scream of annoyance when she saw it was Emily calling. 'For fuck's sake! Are you bloody watching me or what?' she cried, darting a suspicious glance behind her as if she half expected to see her sister bearing down on her with a furious expression on her face. She debated whether to ignore the call but thought better of it as she knew Emily would just keep on ringing relentlessly until she wore her down into submission and took the call.

'Yes! What is it now?' she said, lighting one of the cigarettes that Naomi had surprisingly given her in a gesture of solidarity to help her get through the stresses of her first day of her new alcohol-free regime.

'I just thought I'd see how you were getting on, that's all. There's no need to bite my head off.'

'You mean you thought you'd check up on me to make sure I wasn't in some pub getting pissed! Thanks for showing such faith in me, sis.' Katie was pacing up and down impatiently in the street, desperate to get rid of Emily so she could find a pub to try and get pissed in.

'No, I didn't! That's unfair, Katie. I know you wouldn't do such a stupid thing on your first day of giving up. I do have faith in you, one hundred per cent. We'll beat this together. I'm with you every step of the way.'

Katie instantly felt a huge pang of guilt almost rip her body in two and she bit her lip hard, almost making it bleed, as she struggled to prevent a rush of tears from flooding down her face. She couldn't imagine which would be more painful – the excruciating agony she was already starting to experience from having gone without a drink for hours or the look of hurt and disappointment on Emily's face if she were to find her later that afternoon slumped in the corner of some bar, totally pissed out of her skull and reeking of booze.

'How's the research going? Have you found anything that might be useful?' Emily had asked Katie early that morning if she would do some background checking on the recent murder victims on the internet for her at the local library Katie had agreed grudgingly, on the basis that a few hours in the local library might be marginally less boring and frustrating than the alternative of staying in a totally dry house all on her lonesome.

'Oh, so so,' she replied, 'but it would be a lot easier if you didn't interrupt me all the time.' A sudden cacophony of tooting and beeping broke out near Katie forcing her to change direction and move smartly away and attempt to muffle the sounds from her mobile.

'What's all that noise I can hear?' said Emily, suddenly suspicious of where Katie was talking to her from. 'That doesn't sound like the library! Where the hell are you?'

'I just popped outside to have a smoke,' said Katie, lying skilfully as she dragged on her ciggie as loudly as she could whilst holding her phone right to her mouth in the vain hope that Emily would be convinced by this clever piece of chicanery. 'I'm going back inside in a minute,' she lied, brazenly this time, having no intention of setting foot in the library again and defiantly fronting up the accusing, outraged faces of her detractors.

'Okay,' said Emily in a small voice, sounding far from convinced but didn't pursue the matter further. 'We'll meet up for lunch as arranged, yeah?' Katie readily agreed as the only way to get Emily to stop the tedious Spanish Inquisition shit, get the hell off the phone and finally leave her in peace which her sister duly did after delivering an anxious-sounding goodbye. After shutting her phone Katie walked aimlessly around for a while, agitated and restless due to her increasing desperation for a drink and her suffocating fear of letting Emily down if she caved in to her desires. She even found herself standing by a pub on the corner of a street at one point and was unable to walk on past, her feet seemingly stuck in concrete. She hovered outside the open door of the public bar, breathing in deeply the oh so alluring, intoxicating smell of the liquor, her eyes firmly shut as her imagination ran wild over the vast array of bottles lined up behind the bar, waiting to be selected for that singular honour of being her first drink of the day. She began to feel giddy and light-headed and needed to prop herself up against the doorframe, holding on for dear life with both hands to stop herself from collapsing to the ground in a shuddering faint.

A concerned passer-by stopped to enquire if she was alright at which point she opened her eyes, forced a grateful smile at her well-wisher, nodded a touch too enthusiastically perhaps and dragged her quivering body away from the pub and continued her torturous path down the road. She wasn't sure how long she could last on her own. She needed help, she knew that all too well even if she hadn't been able to bring herself to say out loud to a living soul yet. Not just the well-meaning, devoted, determined yet utterly untrained help of her beloved sister and friends but professional help and support from people who knew what they were doing- because they had been there themselves. She realised that only people who had gone through the very same agonies that she was experiencing now could really hope to save her from screwing her life up. They were the only people she felt she would be able to stand up in front of, look squarely in the eyes and announce to murmurs of encouragement and approbation, in a trembling, hesitant voice '_My name is Katie and I'm an alcoholic_.'

**PART 3**

Predictably enough JJ had been fussing over Lara like a mother hen the minute she had walked out of the hospital with the father of her unborn child in the closest of attendance. It had only been half an hour since she had been officially released and already he was beginning to drive her insane with his constant attentions and suffocating ministrations. She was almost hankering to be back in the relative sanctuary of her hospital bed where the doctors and nurses kept a vigilant eye on her progress without ever feeling the need to act like the most attentive wine waiter in the world, forever poised a few feet away from your table ready to top up your glass the second you took a sip of wine and put it back down again.

By the time they got back to Emily and Naomi's house Lara was ready to go straight up to bed for some rest and recuperation and ban JJ from disturbing her for at least a couple of hours. 'I know you're just concerned about me, JJ but, and don't take this the wrong way, you're driving me round the fucking twist! You heard what the doctor said, I'm going to be fine, the baby's absolutely fine, I'm not a bloody invalid who needs a nursemaid constantly at her side. Please!'

But before JJ could protest, apologise or say anything in his defence, Harvey came bounding out of the kitchen to greet them and was given a rapturous welcome by Lara who certainly didn't bear the poor dog any grudges for her unfortunate fall down the stairs. 'I'm going upstairs for a lie down, I'm feeling a bit knackered. Why don't you make me a nice cup of tea and then you can contact the others and tell them I'm back, there's a love? Come on Harvey, let's have a nice nap together, shall we?' She made her way confidently up the stairs, showing no mental scars since the last time she had been in the house and shooing Harvey carefully in front of her, making sure he didn't get under her feet. When they got to the landing Lara pushed the door to their bedroom open and waited calmly for Harvey to go through but the Jack Russell stood stock still in the middle of the landing, yapping excitedly, his tail wagging furiously to and fro.

'What is it, Harvey?' Lara asked the pooch, bending down to stroke him and calm him down. 'There's no-one here, Harvey, there's just the three of us. Everyone else is out. What _has_ got in to you, eh?' If only Harvey had been a magic dog and had possessed the gift of human speech he could have told Lara that he could smell the presence of another human in the house, somewhere out of sight yet quite close at hand. Sadly he was just a normal everyday dog with limited powers of communication to humans so his acute sense of smell, many times better than a human being's, remained an unexplored mystery to Lara. Eventually she gave up trying to persuade him to join her and went inside the bedroom to crash out, leaving him to prowl around on the landing trying to locate the source of this smell.

**PART 4**

'So tell me again why you think our killer's reached the end of his spree?' said Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent as she sat with DI Lewis and DS Hathaway in the incident room at Thames Valley CID headquarters staring at the incident board on which every scrap of detail on the three murders had been crammed to bursting. Lewis took her through the theory that Hathaway had ventured to suggest earlier and Innocent listened carefully with an expressionless face as the inspector went through the murders and their tenuous links one by one.

'No more warning messages have been sent here since the third murder?' she asked to which Hathaway shook his head. 'What about these notes left with the severed body parts? What do we make of them? What's our killer's motive?'

Lewis pulled a perplexed face as he explained their current line of thinking. 'We're not entirely sure, Ma'am. He could just be playing a game with us, you know, goading us to work out their significance.'

'And what significance have you come up with so far? Do tell me. I'm all ears.'

Lewis and Hathaway exchanged baleful glances at the hint of Innocent's withering sarcasm before Hathaway regaled her with the fruits of his recent research. 'Not a great deal, Ma'am. The first note, 'In such ugly times, the only true protest is beauty' is a quote by Phil Ochs, the American protest singer from the 1960s. The second one refers to two lines from a famous Bon Jovi anthem from the 1980s, You Give Love a Bad Name, and the third one, 'Cowards die many times before their deaths' is a quote from Shakespeare – Julius Caesar.'

'Conclusions?' Innocent turned a beady, encouraging eye on the two detectives who stood motionless beside her.

'Well, clearly our man is well educated and has a wide range of cultural and intellectual interests,' Lewis surmised. 'American protest singers, American rock bands, Shakespeare – they wouldn't be on your average man in the street's list of popular reading or listening material.'

'We're looking into the possibility that each quote might have a direct significance for the victim whose body part it was found with,' said Hathaway, hoping to appease Innocent's stern demeanour with the promise that some intelligent detective work was actually in progress. Lewis gave his sergeant a sly sideways glance. That was the first he'd heard of that line of enquiry but he recognised what Hathaway was attempting to do and was grateful for his spontaneous ingenuity in keeping the worst excesses of Innocent's impatience and frustration at bay for the time being and giving them some breathing space.

'Nothing's come up so far to suggest the three victims knew each other or had ever met so we're also examining the possibility that they're connected via a third person,' Lewis added, following Hathaway's example of improvised thought processes.

'Interesting theory,' nodded Innocent who seemed more encouraged by her boys' last few contributions to the urgent case review she had demanded that morning. 'Such as who?'

'Ah! Well, we don't know as yet, Ma'am,' Lewis was reluctantly forced to confess with a reddening face. 'Perhaps someone from way back in their past. We've begun the long slog of trawling through the story of their lives in the hope that we'll turn something up soon. But we are certain of one thing.'

'It's good to hear you've established at least _one_ fact after all this time, then. What's that?'

Lewis grimaced inside at Innocent's renewed display of caustic wit but maintained a straight face as he ignored it and replied. 'Our killer didn't choose these victims randomly. This wasn't some crazed, arbitrary killing spree aimed at no-one in particular. They were selected quite deliberately and for a specific reason. If we can find whatever it is that connects these victims to our killer we'll be halfway there to finding out who our killer is.'

'I'll leave you to it, then,' said Innocent as she made for the door. 'Keep me posted, won't you? The Chief Constable is looking for a quick result, by the way. I told him I had every confidence in the pair of you to deliver.'

Lewis had the good grace and tact to wait until Innocent had passed through the door before letting out an expletive which by his normally restrained and polite standards was out of character and which brought the ghost of a smile to Hathaway's lips even though he was well aware he was as much in the firing line as his guvnor. 'Oh, fine! So, no pressure there then. Come on Hathaway, didn't you here? She said Jump!'

**PART 5**

'I don't know if it's my imagination or whether I'm going mad but a whole load of food seems to have gone missing,' said Naomi as she stood in front of the fridge with a puzzled look on her face.

'How do you mean?' said JJ and he, Lara and Effy looked across at Naomi, intrigued by her remark.

'Well I was going to have a couple of ham sandwiches for lunch but there's only one slice left. I'm certain there were at least three or four here this morning. And some cheeky bastard's helped themselves to my favourite bar of chunky dark chocolate.'

'It wasn't me, Naomi, I promise,' JJ was quick to reassure the despondent blonde. 'Nor me either,' said Effy, shaking her head quietly. 'I know that's your favourite chocolate. I'd never deprive you of that.'

'I think I'd have remembered if I'd done a runner from the hospital and sneaked in here to raid your fridge,' said Lara with a wry grin and all the others laughed, including Naomi.

'Maybe we've got mice!' suggested JJ anxiously and automatically looked around the kitchen floor to see if he could see the culprit, quietly tiptoeing away with a huge slice of ham dangling down from its mouth.

'Oh yeah, JJ,' Lara chortled. 'Mice are well known for loving ham. People mistakenly think they only like cheese but their favourite snacks are cheese and ham sandwiches.'

Naomi and Effy collapsed in fits of laughter and even JJ forced out a rueful smile of embarrassment.

'They must have been bloody big, clever mice to open a locked fridge door and drag some slices of ham and huge slabs of chocolate out of the fridge and back into their mouse hole,' chuckled Naomi, her shoulders shaking violently at the image of a Supermouse roaming around the house, leaving a trail of destruction behind them.

'Maybe it was Katie,' said JJ. 'Perhaps she grabbed some food before she left this morning,'

'She doesn't like ham, JJ' said Naomi. 'It couldn't have been her.'

'Oh, well I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for it,' smiled Lara. 'We'll find out soon enough.' As they all nodded and wisely moved on to another topic of discussion, the perfectly good explanation was stretched out full length in the attic, snoring away happily, blissfully unaware of the consternation and mystery he had created down in the kitchen.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

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I would like to say a word of thanks to two people who gave me reviews on the last chapter, Jae and Rach, for their extremely kind words – it is much appreciated! I'm glad you are enjoying the story and I hope both of you and everyone else continue to do so


	21. Chapter 21

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily's boss suggests she should use Effy's friendship with Sgt Hathaway to uncover some new details on the murder case for her newspaper story which leaves Emily in a dilemma. Katie is finding it really hard going on day one of her abstinence from alcohol and begins to realise she might need more help than Emily can give her. Lara leaves hospital and arrives back at the house with JJ. On the upstairs landing Harvey can detect a different smell in the house from normal but can't locate the source of it. Lewis and Hathaway run through their early theories about the murders with a far from convinced Superintendent Innocent. Naomi notices food has vanished from the fridge and JJ suggests the house may have mice.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: **

**PART 1**

Cook awoke from a short, deep sleep with a start and an unintelligible grunt. He looked around wildly for a moment, temporarily disoriented as to his environment, before relaxing as he realised he wasn't in Naomi and Emily's grotty old shed but their much more comfortable and secure attic. He got up, yawned hugely and stretched out his arms to their fullest extent to get some energy and life back into his tired, aching bones. He needed to find out if the house was empty or, if not, who was still in it so he very slowly raised the trap door the merest fraction and peeped out cautiously onto the landing. He reached for the strong, thin piece of wood he had found lying around earlier in the day and used it skilfully to prop up the trap door so he could look out without having to hold it open with his hands.

No-one was to be seen hovering on the upstairs landing and so he lay down flat on the floor and cocked an ear through the small space afforded by his makeshift jack and listened intently to the muffled sounds that filtered up the stairs. After a while he was able to distinguish reasonably clearly the various voices talking down below and concluded that Naomi, JJ and Lara were still in the house. To his intense annoyance he failed to pick out the unmistakeable sweet sound of Effy's voice, leading him to suspect that she probably wasn't with the others. 'Bollocks!' he whispered softly and wondered if she had left the house while he was asleep. He was desperate to get her on her own so he could continue the conversation he had begun with her in the bar the other night but it looked like he would have to bide his time and exercise patience, not a quality he was particularly renowned for possessing.

He was very tempted to call her on his mobile but resisted the idea, aware that he didn't want to put the whole gang into an awkward position by revealing his whereabouts before he had had the chance to complete his unfinished business with Effy. He puffed out his cheeks and lit another cigarette to pass the time, noting he was down to his last half dozen which would necessitate a hazardous trip out into the big bad world where who knew how many coppers were on the look-out for him. He was also getting a bit low on food as he had wolfed down most of the few scraps he had pilfered from the fridge earlier in the morning and had only a couple of chunks of chocolate left to see him through until dinner time. He might have to risk another foray downstairs into the kitchen to see what else he could pinch to ward off his hunger for the rest of the day.

He allowed his mind to wander for a while as he tried to imagine what he was going to say to Effy if and when he finally managed to get her on her own but his studied concentration was suddenly disturbed by the sound of a dog barking excitedly below him. He rolled over from his prone position flat on his back and peered out through the slightly open trap door to be met with the sight of Harvey standing on the landing immediately below, yapping furiously up at him and jumping up and down in a vain and pointless attempt to get into the loft and confront this cheeky intruder.

'Shit a brick!' muttered Cook under his breath as he scowled down at Harvey whose tail was wagging so violently with the excitement of having discovered the source of the smell he had noticed earlier in the day that it threatened to drop right off. 'Piss off, pooch!' Cook whispered, afraid that the dog's sustained barking would alert the gang to the fact that something or someone on or around the upstairs landing was getting the little dog terribly excited. He listened intently for the tell-tale sounds of voices or footsteps coming up the stairs but for the moment there appeared to be no reaction from anyone in the house. But he couldn't be sure how long Harvey's sustained yapping and yelping would continue to be ignored so he needed to think of a way to make the irritating mutt shut the fuck up – and quickly.

He didn't have a great choice of diversions to hand and he certainly didn't want to hurt the poor little thing who was only doing what comes naturally to young dogs anyway. As he glanced around frantically for inspiration and frustratingly found nothing he was forced to resort to the age-old tactic for shutting up a barking hound- give it something to eat. He let out a groan as he acknowledged that in order to safeguard his hiding place he would have to sacrifice the remains of his food stash but drastic situations required drastic action and this was now one such occasion.

He dug into his pocket and pulled out the last two chunks of chocolate that he saving up to have with his afternoon tea – or rather his afternoon half a can of flat coca-cola. He crawled over to the trap door and peered out again at which point Harvey, who had briefly stopped yapping after Cook had temporarily disappeared from view, resumed his animated barking at the provocative sight of Cook's face staring down at him from above. He broke off one of the chunks of chocolate, took careful aim and lobbed it out through the door and down onto the landing where it fell to rest just a foot or so away from Harvey.

The puppy immediately pounced on the chocolate with relish and Cook watched with a knowing smile on his face as Harvey sniffed curiously at the piece of chocolate, picked it up in his mouth and trotted away out of view, presumably to examine this unexpected gift in more detail somewhere else and then to scoff it down his neck in pleasurable silence. Cook was gratified to see that his plan had worked for Harvey didn't return to recommence his annoying barking but appeared content with the spoils his dogged persistence had conjured up in the way of a placatory culinary treat

**PART 2**

Effy tutted and sighed once again in exasperation as yet another attempt to speak to James Hathaway ended in failure. He wasn't answering his phone and he hadn't so far returned any of the messages she had left him that morning. She forced a polite yet far from genuine smile at the waiter who had brought her coffee out to her table where she was sitting in front of the café entrance and picked up her mobile from the table where she had flung it down a few moments earlier. She would send him a text message as a last resort and pray to God he would pick it up and send a reply.

_Hi James, its me. Where are u? Why wont you return my calls? We need to talk about last nite. PLEASE call me soon_! _Effy x_

She sipped at her coffee which was hot, strong and rich, just the way she liked it but in truth she hardly took any of the flavour in. Her mind was fixed on the dramatic events of the previous night and the repercussions to her relationships with both Hathaway and Cook. She was desperate to hear the rest of Cook's story about Freddie which had been so inopportunely cut short by James' untimely entrance into the gents' restroom before Cook had been able to expand on his bizarrely cryptic preamble. But she felt equally anxious to explain her actions to James whom she imagined must be feeling let down and betrayed by her after bursting in on her secretive meeting with Cook, the man they had been searching for since the night of Naomi's party.

She thrashed a few random, desperate thoughts and ideas around in her head as she sat drinking her coffee and smoking a couple of cigarettes, her mind plagued with doubts and uncertainties about what her best course of action would be. She didn't want to just wait calmly and patiently for either James or Cook to contact her. Men never seemed to phone when you really wanted or needed them to – they had an instinctive knack of always turning up on your doorstep when you least wanted to see them and never getting in touch when you badly needed them to. It couldn't be something that was taught to them, they wouldn't have the patience to hang around long enough to take any such lesson in - it had to be the male equivalent of the universally acknowledged female intuition.

After half an hour of tortured deliberations during which she must have changed her mind at least three or four times, she decided she would be bold and call on James at the police station and ask to see him. If he was reluctant to come to her then she would have to make the decisive move to visit him in his own natural habitat. Her mind finally made up, she felt a wave of relief rush over her at having come to a positive decision and she was in a much more cheery mood as she paid for her coffee and left the café. She made the journey over to the Thames Valley CID headquarters with a quiet determination, hell-bent on confronting Sgt Hathaway and challenging him to settle any awkwardness or suspicions that might exist between them face to face. Nothing could be sorted out if they avoided talking to each other. However difficult and awkward their conversation might be, it would be infinitely preferable to days and days of cowardly silence and aimless non-communication leading nowhere.

**PART 3**

'Hello, Miss Martin,' said DI Lewis with a weak smile as the first victim's daughter, Jenny answered the front door. 'I'm sorry to have to trouble you both again but I have one or two more questions to ask about your father. May I come in?'

A pale-faced Jenny Martin looked somewhat reluctant to let the inspector in and quickly explained her reason. 'I'm afraid my mother's out at the moment. She's gone into town and probably won't be back for a couple of hours.'

'Well, maybe you might be able to help instead, Miss Martin. Can I come in anyway? It won't take too long, I promise – just a couple of routine questions, that's all.' Lewis gave the daughter a reassuring, kindly smile and had already skilfully eased himself halfway through the door before the hesitant young woman could even think about protesting. Lewis had noted immediately how pale and drawn she was looking compared to their first meeting and her obvious reluctance to let him in had aroused his suspicions even more. He was determined to take advantage of her mother's absence to quiz the daughter about her father and try to find out what it was that he and Hathaway had been convinced she had been keeping back from the police. When the two of them were sitting facing each other in the living room Lewis gently began his questioning, reckoning he should work his way gradually into gaining her confidence before he attempted to open her up and reveal any guilty secrets that might be lurking beneath the surface of this guarded, suspicious young woman.

'When I spoke to you and your mother last time I asked you both if you could think of any reason why anyone might want to harm your father. Has anything new come to mind since then that, maybe, didn't occur to you at that time?'

Jenny Martin didn't bother wasting time considering the question but instantly shook her head firmly but without returning Lewis' kindly gaze. 'No, nothing at all, Inspector.'

'I only ask because while your mother seemed adamant that your father had no enemies who could possibly want to harm him, I got the impression you might have wanted to say something but were….well, perhaps a little afraid to speak up in front of her.'

Jenny stared hard at Lewis with an expression of shock and surprise and Lewis thought he detected just a glimmer of fear in her eyes which she fought valiantly to cover up with a vigorous shake of her head and an exaggerated calmness in her voice.

'Absolutely not. I can't imagine what gave you that idea.'

'I just thought you seemed a little….uncomfortable when I was asking your mother about your father. Particularly when she was telling us about what a good husband and father he had been to both of you. You couldn't look any of us in the face when she was telling us that, not even your mother.'

Jenny appeared to be swallowing hard and Lewis couldn't help but notice that she was nervously fidgeting with her hands constantly and was again avoiding any direct eye contact. Something had definitely rattled her cage but he was wary of diving head first into the deep end in case she withdrew into her protective shell even further and completely clammed up.

'Well, I wasn't uncomfortable, just stunned by the news of my father's death. It came as a great shock.'

'How was your relationship with your father? Were you on good terms with him before he died? No arguments or problems in the family?'

Jenny seemed to purse his lips a fraction but replied coolly enough with a brief shake of the head. 'No, none at all. Not that I saw my parents on a daily basis of course. I have my own place but….. I came round to see them often enough.'

'So, you would say you were a perfectly normal, ordinary family, then?' Lewis still didn't totally believe this whiter than white picture Jenny was painting of the Martin family unit. He was convinced something sinister, something possibly quite dark and shameful lay hidden beneath these superficial layers of cosy normality and suburban innocence.

'Quite normal, Inspector,' she replied, surprising Lewis with a disarming smile which to his eyes seemed to be trying just s touch too hard to be reassuring and placatory. If she was holding something back, she wasn't going to be an easy nut to crack. If she and her mother had decided to present an identical story line of unsullied family contentment and peaceful harmony then she certainly wasn't going to be the one to waver from it first.

'Can I ask you to have a look at these photos, Miss Martin,' said Lewis, deciding it was time to change tack and adopt an alternative strategy. He brought out from his inside jacket pocket two photographs of the second and third victims, Christopher Wells and Simon Harvey and placed them face up on the small table in front of her. 'Do you recognise either of these men?' He watched her face carefully for the tiniest sign of any genuine shock or surprise which might indicate she did recognise one or other of the two fellow murder victims. She stared in silence at the two photographs for several seconds but other than that gave away no discernible reaction, made no audible or visible sound of involuntary shock at the sight of the two photos.

'I'm afraid I can't help you, Inspector. I've never met either of these men before. Who are they?'

'The man on the left was a Mr Christopher Wells who was the chief editor at the Oxford Herald local newspaper. The other man was Mr Simon Harvey, churchwarden at the church of Saint Saviours.' Lewis continued to contemplate intently Jenny Martin's face but the mention of the victims' names seemed to arouse no change in her cool, apparently perplexed demeanour.

'I'm sorry but I've never had anything to do with either the local newspaper or any church in Oxford. I'm an atheist, you see. And I don't have much time to read the newspapers.'

If she was lying, thought Lewis, then she was putting in a damn fine performance, he would have to give her credit for sticking to her guns and refusing to buckle under pressure. 'Okay, Miss Martin, I think that's all for the moment,' said Lewis, getting to his feet after picking up the photos and replacing them inside his jacket. 'But if you do remember anything at all about either of these men, please contact me at the station straight away.'

'How can I remember anything about them, Inspector? I've already told you I've never even met them.'

Oh, she's good, thought Lewis admiringly. She's very good. She's relaxed and become a lot more confident now that she thinks she's seen me off. 'Of course, so you did, I beg your pardon,' he apologised with a rueful grin. 'Thank you for your time,' he added before he was politely shown to the door by Jenny Martin who even forced out a half smile as Lewis took his leave and walked down the garden path and out through the garden gate. One thought reverberated in his mind as he walked slowly back to his car, convinced that the eyes of Jenny Martin were firmly fixed on his back which he refused to turn round towards her. One simple question screamed at him from inside his head as he got into his car, sat back and considered the results of his short yet fascinating conversation with Daniel Martin's daughter_. Why the hell didn't she ask what had happened to those two men?_

**PART 4**

'Why the bloody hell did we have to come to this dump?' Katie looked around the cafe with a scowl as wide as the Bristol Channel and fixed a thunderous, accusing pair of eyes on her sister who was distractedly picking at her lunch with a fork, pushing the food around her plate with all the interest and enjoyment of someone who had been served the previous night's cold leftovers for their lunch.

Emily looked up at Katie, stared at her bemused for a moment then glanced around the café attempting to find some meaning in Katie's bitter and heartfelt complaint. Okay, it wasn't the Ritz, I grant you that, she admitted. It wasn't even close to being amongst the better lunchtime eateries in Oxford, true enough. But it hardly warranted such a dismissive appraisal from Katie whom she felt was in the mood to have found fault with the most up-market, trendy, sophisticated, eat all you can for a fiver restaurant in town.

'Oh, come on! It's not that bad! I mean, it's hardly empty, is it? Lots of people come here for lunch. I think the food's pretty decent and it's not exactly expensive.'

'Yeah? So how come you've hardly touched your food since they served us, then?' Katie looked down at Emily's plate and then back up again at her sister who pulled a face in response. She fell silent for a while before putting her fork back on her plate which she pushed away from her. Normally Emily would have devoured the pasta special with a ravenous hunger but she had too much on her mind and had completely lost her normally healthy appetite.

'Let me make an educated guess,' said Katie, before taking a mouthful of fresh orange juice which she swallowed with as much enthusiasm and evident enjoyment as she could muster which wasn't very much. 'I imagine you suggested we ate here rather than somewhere decent so that I wouldn't have to sit around watching other people drink wine or beer or spirits or some other proper drink which normal people would have with their lunch. Am I right?'

Emily couldn't hide her guilty feelings from her twin so chose merely to nod in silence. There was no point making up some pathetic story to pull the wool over Katie's eyes. If she was going to help Katie get over her problem they both had to be open and honest with each other. Besides, Katie clearly hadn't lost her ability to read her sister's mind- an alarming dependence on alcohol hadn't dulled Katie's instincts as far as Emily could tell. If anything it had seemed to sharpen them and make them even more receptive than normal.

'So, you don't trust me, then? Is that it?'

'No! It's got nothing to do with not trusting you, Katie! I was thinking of _you_! I thought it would be hell for you to have to sit and watch other people knocking back the booze while you were just starting to give it up. I didn't want to put you through that torture.'

'Emsy, hiding me away from the sight and smell of alcohol is simply not going to work. You're not going to be able to protect me twenty-four seven from all those nasty, irresponsible pissheads knocking back the booze like there's no tomorrow. What's going to be your next trick? Get everyone else in town to stop drinking until I've finally managed to kick the habit?'

'Okay, okay, I'm sorry,' said a tearful Emily, realising that Katie was right. It was pointless trying to protect her from the temptations of alcohol. She had to face up to her demons square on, look them in the eye and choose to reject their advances. 'I was just trying to help. I'll have to think of something else, then.'

The two girls fell silent as they each finished off their drinks while looking down gloomily at the table, Emily desperately searching for inspiration in the unremarkable polished tabletop and Katie vainly trying to convince herself that the orange juice she was finishing off contained a very weak brand of vodka, so weak in fact that it could barely be detected.

'Look, Katie, I really do want to help you, you know? I am SO worried about you. I'll try _anything_ to help you get off the booze.' Emily had leant forward towards her sister and had lowered her voice down to practically a whisper, not wishing anyone else sitting nearby to overhear their private and very personal conversation. 'I got hold of these leaflets this morning. I thought you might have a read of them and think really hard about giving it a go.'

Emily took out of her bag a couple of brightly coloured leaflets and pushed them across the table to Katie who picked them up with a baffled expression and glanced at them. Her mouth shot open in astonishment and she stared back at a nervous and concerned Emily in disbelief. 'Are you serious? Alcoholics Anonymous? You want ME to go to one of those meetings? Are you out of your tiny fucking mind?'

'Please, Katie. What harm can it do? You need professional help. You know I would do anything to help you but I'm…..I'm out of my fucking depth here. I'm not qualified enough to give you the help and support you need to get off the booze. These people….well, they know what they're doing. They've been there, seen it, done it. They really do know what you're going through, they've all been there themselves and come out the other side.'

'No fucking way,' insisted a clearly shaken Katie, throwing the leaflets back across the table at her sister. 'Going to one of those places, well…..it's just one short step away from being locked up in a loony bin. Is that what you want, Emsy? Do you want me put away in a hospital for the fruitcakes? Don't you remember what it was like for Effy in that clinic when she had her breakdown? She thought she might never get out at one point.'

'It's not like that, Katie. Effy was ill, Effy had a breakdown. She needed medical attention and specialist therapy to make her well again. You're not ill, you're not sick. You don't need doctors or psychiatrists looking after you round the clock. You just have a drink problem. You're not losing your mind, are you? Except…. perhaps when you're knocking back the drink. So you need professional help to get you off the booze. Look, just read the leaflets this afternoon and we'll talk about it again tonight. Please, do it for me, even if you don't want to do it for yourself.'

There were fresh tears beginning to form in Emily's eyes and Katie felt her chest begin to tighten like someone had fitted a clamp on her and a lump began to form in her throat which had suddenly become terribly dry. She reached out and picked up Emily's glass of water which was still half full and poured the ice cold refreshing liquid down her neck. For the first time she could recall since her early teenage years that mouthful of water tasted really good.

Aware that a young couple on a nearby table were taking particular interest in them ever since their last heated conversational exchange which had been carried out in something more than a whisper, Katie picked up the leaflets, motioned to Emily with a curt movement of her head that her sister should follow her and smartly made her way to the till to pay for their lunch, leaving an anxious Emily confused and unsure as to whether Katie's last gesture meant she had agreed to her plaintive suggestion or not.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

After an enforced absence I have returned with a new chapter – though how much longer I can keep going with this story God only knows! The excruciatingly old and slow laptop I am being forced to use instead of my usual PC is driving me insane and my patience is wearing thin and my tolerance levels are plummeting fast. Writing has become almost a grind and a chore lately rather than the huge pleasure it used to be. I'll just have to see how things go, I suppose. Thanks once again to everyone who has stuck with the story and read/reviewed it so far – your support means a lot to me!


	22. Chapter 22

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Cook has a brief altercation on the landing with Harvey who almost gives the game away about Cook's secret hide-out. Hathaway isn't returning Effy's calls and texts so she decides she will have to go and confront him at the police station. Lewis is convinced that Dr Martin's daughter Jenny is hiding something when she denies knowing either of the other two murder victims when he shows her their photos. Over lunch Emily tries to persuade Katie to go to a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous but Katie reacts angrily to the suggestion.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: **

**PART 1**

'I'd like to speak to Detective Sergeant Hathaway, please,' said Effy confidently as she approached the front desk behind which the duty sergeant was busy making a few notes in a large book. He looked up and pointedly eyed Effy up and down as if trying to form an instant impression as to whether she was the sort of person to have a genuine reason for seeing the permanently busy Hathaway or was merely a time-waster who should be sent smartly on her way with a stern rebuke ringing in her ears.

'What's it concerning, Miss?' he asked her firmly but politely. 'DS Hathaway's a very busy man right now. And who might you be, anyway?'

Effy pondered a while what response to give. She didn't want to tell an outright lie and get herself into even more trouble with the police but at the same time she badly needed to speak to James and the fact that he had been ignoring her repeated calls and messages that day meant that she would have to use a degree of subterfuge if she were to succeed. 'It's to do with the case he's working on at the moment. He and DI Lewis are trying to find a possible suspect who's gone missing and…well, I may have some information that might help them. My name's…. Elisabeth.'

The duty sergeant made a note of what she had said and asked her to take a seat and wait which she duly did. She watched him pick up the phone and have a short conversation with someone but frustratingly he kept his voice to almost a whisper so she could barely hear a word he was saying. She couldn't even be sure it was James he was talking to but a few minutes later Hathaway's appearance at the reception desk allayed her doubts.

'Effy!' Hathaway couldn't prevent a startled cry from escaping when the duty sergeant pointed over towards the young woman with a cursory nod of the head and Hathaway turned round to follow his gaze. Effy stood up and smiled weakly and a little apologetically at James. She could see that he was surprised and sensed he probably felt more than a little embarrassed that she had come to confront him at the station in front of his colleagues.

'Sgt Hathaway,' she replied formally, noticing with a heavy heart how his body seemed to stiffen with tension on seeing her and wishing desperately that the duty sergeant would bugger off and leave them alone instead of taking an uncomfortably keen interest in the pair of them as he seemed to be doing from his position behind the front desk. 'Thank you very much for agreeing to see me. I know you're a very busy man so I really appreciate you sparing me the time.'

Hathaway cleared his throat as he hesitated briefly to consider how he was going to handle this tricky situation. 'If you wouldn't mind following me, Miss Stonem, we'll see if we can find an interview room that's free,' and he led the way through the double doors at the side of reception, after keying in the appropriate pass code, with Effy trotting nervously behind him, leaving an intrigued duty sergeant leaning across the front desk and following them avidly with his eyes until they had both disappeared from sight. Less than a minute later Effy and Hathaway were sitting opposite each other in an empty interview room, both of them silent, both staring at each other with a mixture of confusion, discomfort and awkwardness as neither quite knew where or how to begin the conversation.

'What are you doing here, Effy?' Hathaway was the first to break the uneasy deadlock but the serious tone of voice and his unsmiling face didn't fill Effy's heart with any great hope that this wouldn't be as difficult a conversation as she had feared.

'I needed to speak to you, James. You weren't returning any of my calls or messages so…..' she shrugged her shoulders somewhat helplessly and fell silent, awaiting an explanation for him giving her the cold shoulder.

Hathaway looked down at the table thoughtfully for a few seconds, as if concentrating on choosing his next words very carefully before he raised his head and looked directly into Effy's heavily made-up eyes. 'I don't think it's a good idea for us to carry on seeing each other outside of work.'

'This isn't outside of work,' Effy pointed out, not bothering to hide how disgruntled his words had made her feel. But before James could pick her up on her flippant reply she had started on her pre-planned apology which she had been rehearsing on the way over to the station. 'Look, I'm really sorry for what happened last night. I know you probably feel I've let you down and gone behind your back and….and put you in a really difficult position with your boss. But I swear I hadn't planned to meet Cook in the bar. He must have been there somewhere watching us and waiting for the right moment to contact me when I was alone. That's the honest truth.'

'Why did you agree to meet him when you knew we'd been looking for him for days? He's still a suspect for these murders, whether you like it or not, Effy. Going off to meet up him in the toilets behind my back… well, can't you see how bad that looks? For you as much as for me!'

Effy closed her eyes and nodded. It was hard to open them again and look at James, especially as his face positively screamed disappointment and betrayal at her. 'I know, I know,' she said. 'But he said he had something important to tell me about Freddie so…I simply had to meet up with him. I couldn't take the chance that I might still see him again sometime.'

Hathaway's face twitched slightly at the corners of his mouth at the mention of Freddie. This guy from Effy's dark and mysterious past certainly seemed to have an incredible hold over her, making her do the most unwise and ill-judged things. This Cook fellow might come across as the puppet master holding her strings but it sounded like it was this Freddie character that ultimately controlled her heart and her mind. 'So what was this important news Cook had about Freddie that was worth you risking a criminal charge to hear?'

Effy bit her lip as she looked across at Hathaway, her eyes heavy with sadness and weary with lack of sleep. 'I never found out. He had just said that he thought he knew where Freddie was when…when you came bursting in.'

'Meaning, I suppose, that you're desperate to see him again to get him to finish off his story.' Hathaway didn't mean for a sneer of contempt to come out with his words but Effy's reaction clearly showed that his involuntary tone of scepticism and suspicion had wounded the poor young woman.

'Cook isn't making up a story! He wouldn't lie to me! Just because he's got into a bit of trouble with the police in the past doesn't mean he's a compulsive liar. We're good friends. We go back a long way, him and me. He would never lie to me about Freddie. Freddie was his best mate too, you know.'

Hathaway couldn't help admiring Effy's fiery defence of her friend Cook whom he suspected was a hardened criminal who was used to lying and cheating his way out of any tricky situation he found himself in just to survive and live another day. 'I'm sorry,' he apologised softly, seeing Effy was battling to keep her indignation in check. Her cheeks had turned red with emotion and her eyes were sparkling with resentment at Hathaway's easy suspicions and assumptions as to Cook's basic honesty and integrity. 'I didn't mean to upset you, Effy. But you have to remember I'm a copper first and foremost and I have a job to do. We have a serial murderer to catch and as far as we're concerned Cook is just another suspect whom we have to eliminate from our enquiries before we can ignore him. I can't go easy on him just because he comes with your personal recommendation.'

Hathaway's last few words, delivered in far more gentle and placatory tones had succeeded in calming Effy down and dissipating the anger and resentment that were beginning to rise within her breast. She gave the thinnest of half smiles which Hathaway was relieved to see and nodded. 'Yes, I know you've got a job to do. I'm not trying to stop you from doing it. But you have to understand I've got a life to try to make sense of, I've got a past that needs to be explained – if I'm to have any hope of a future with anyone, whether it's you, Cook or any man at all.'

Hathaway felt her distress and her confusion and instinctively reached forward with his hands and gently laid them on top of Effy's which had been resting uneasily on the table. 'Do you want me to see if I can help? I could make some enquiries about this Freddie, see if we can turn up anything on him that might give a clue as to what happened to him. Maybe I might even trace an address for him. That's what you want isn't it? To see him again and get an explanation about why he ran out on you?'

'That's really nice of you, James, but I'm certain Cook has all the answers. He's found out the truth about Freddie somehow and I need to hear it from him. I know that's not what you want to hear but it's what's got to happen.'

'Have you seen him since the other night?' Effy shook her head.

'Has he tried to contact you?' Another shake of the head.

'Please don't ask me to turn him in, James. I won't do it. I can't grass on my friends. I WON'T do it, not even for you.'

Hathaway knew it would be pointless trying to persuade her otherwise and stayed silent. Some friendships, however bizarre and seemingly dangerous or incongruous, were so deep and close that they could withstand all manner of outside interferences and pressures and her's and Cook's appeared to be one such relationship. It defied all logic, meaning and rational explanation but it seemed to be rock solid and he couldn't ask her to destroy such loyalty just for the sake of their investigation.

'I know you won't. I'm not going to ask you to. But in that case I think we have to stop seeing each other any more…. at least until after the case is finished and Cook's no longer wanted by Thames Valley CID.'

'James! Does it really have to be like that?' Effy's plaintive voice cut right through Hathaway's heart like a knife but he steeled himself to remain firm and steadfast in performing his often difficult duty as a police officer. He wasn't yet ready to sacrifice his hugely promising career for the sake of a young woman whom he'd only known a couple of weeks and whose elegant, mysterious, captivating charms may have turned his head more than he would ever have believed possible but equally posed a genuine threat to his jealously guarded self-contained, perfectly controlled, beautifully ordered life.

**PART 2**

When Emily got home just after quarter-past five she was astonished to find Naomi all on her own in the house. Ever since the gang had descended upon Oxford en masse for her girlfriend's surprise birthday what seemed like weeks ago, the peace and tranquillity of their private, secluded little love nest had been shattered and quickly transformed into a dead ringer for Piccadilly Circus. Every day since then had featured so many comings and goings that Emily had wondered if she should put a board up in the hall with everyone's names on it together with IN and OUT signs so that each person's movements could be precisely tracked. The house was starting to feel more like an exclusive hotel or country guest house than a charmingly quaint student house for two love struck young women who had just wanted to be left alone to enjoy every minute of each other's company during their brief stay in Oxford.

'Are you all on your own?' Emily asked a somewhat dazed Naomi who had inadvertently dozed off to sleep on the sofa in the living-room, her half completed dissertation lying forlornly next to her, and had been rudely awoken by Emily's arrival home. 'Where the hell is everyone?'

Naomi sat up, yawned unself-consciously and stretched out her long arms in a desperate attempt to shake the tiredness out of her aching body. 'JJ and Lara have gone for a walk down by the river and took Harvey with them. Effy and Katie have gone window shopping, I think.'

'Just so long as they're not looking through the windows of off-licences or pubs,' muttered Emily with a worried look on her face. 'I spent lunchtime trying to persuade Katie to go to an AA meeting this week. She didn't seem too impressed with the idea.'

Naomi burst out laughing but immediately stopped when she saw Emily's distraught expression and ran over to her to make up for her insensitive reaction by throwing her arms around the sad looking redhead and smothering her with kisses and profuse apologies. 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean it. I'm sure you did your best and she'd be a fool not to take your advice.'

It took a little while for Emily's depressed mood to improve but eventually Naomi's persistent apologetic warm kisses and the sweet smell of her breath and perfume had the desired effect. The blonde's unashamed sexual assault on Emily's senses made the hairs stand up on the back of her neck and produced a certain unmistakeable moistness between her legs into the bargain. Emily pulled away from Naomi's clutches to look deeply into the blonde's eyes which revealed more than a hint of disappointment that her girlfriend had pulled away from her embrace. 'Ems? What is it?' she asked, a note of confusion in her voice.

'Are we really all alone in the house?' Emily's eyes seemed to be twinkling at Naomi and scarcely required the mischievous grin which suddenly broke across her face to convince the blonde that her girlfriend had dirty thoughts in her mind.

'Yeah, there's no-one else here but us,' replied Naomi who had already worked out what Emily was hinting at and was more than ready to take the lead. 'It's been quite a while since we were totally on our own here. We're free to do whatever we like, wherever we like, until the others get back.'

'Well, we'd better not waste any time, then,' smiled Emily and before Naomi could barely blink the redhead had sprung to her feet and was making for the stairs. The blonde leapt up and followed Emily in hot pursuit, causing her girlfriend to let out a squeal of excitement as she tore up the stairs, laughing and shrieking as Naomi tried to grab hold of her and bring her down. The two girls reached the top of the stairs almost simultaneously at which point Naomi managed to force Emily to the floor, straddled the laughing, squealing girl and pinned her down on the landing carpet. Emily made a token show of resistance, struggling vainly for a few seconds to push the taller, stronger girl off her but in truth she wasn't remotely interested in putting up any sort of a struggle. She wanted Naomi to overpower her, to dominate her and take complete control of her. Emily loved being the submissive just as much as Naomi was born to play the dominant role in their sexual relationship.

Soon the giggling, screaming and half-hearted playful wriggling ceased to be replaced by the familiar sounds of panting, gasping, moaning and groaning as clothes were rapidly and unceremoniously removed and tossed aside with reckless abandon and lips, tongues, fingers and hands moved into action across writhing, trembling, naked bodies. The two young lovers were completely immersed in each other, so desperate were they to make the most of the rare opportunity of privacy that they had unexpectedly been afforded. Soon they were oblivious to anything and everything around them, their minds and senses focused only on their shared desperation to devour each other's bodies and satisfy each other's heightened sexual needs and desires.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, they were blissfully unaware in their state of mutual gratfification that about twelve feet above them and diagonally slightly to the right a pair of grinning eyes, almost popping out of their sockets, was peeping down at them, quite transfixed and hugely dilated, from the smallest of dark cracks in the ceiling. Cook had been getting extremely bored over the past hour and was itching to leave his temporary hiding place in search of something to do, some kind of fleeting light entertainment that would alleviate the tedium of his current plight and pass the time which was beginning to weigh so heavily upon his shoulders. He could scarcely have fallen on his feet more if he had been asked to write down a wish list by the devil himself.

As he observed the two girls below, stretched out on the attic floor, his face cautiously peeping over the edge of the trap door which was balanced delicately ajar with the aid of his trusty piece of wood, he was unable to stop himself from acting on impulse and giving into nature. His right hand slipped down to his trousers and within a trice the zip was opened and his own personal piece of wood was nestling proudly in his hand. His cock had never needed much encouragement to stand fully to attention, being naturally the horniest of young men. But on this heaven-sent occasion, the fulfilment of many a screaming heterosexual man's dreams, wet or otherwise, his recent enforced abstinence from sex had intensified his sexual arousal to an extent he had rarely experienced before in his admittedly extremely rapacious carnal existence.

He was fortunate that the increasingly loud cries and moans of ecstasy from below served to muffle the sounds of his own self-pleasure. Doubtless the girls would have been mortified to have found out just how much enjoyment and satisfaction their love-making had given an interested bystander but this could certainly be viewed as one of those occasions when what you don't know can't hurt you. Despite having quite openly and unashamedly fancied the arse off Naomi ever since they had met at Roundview College and having been resigned to the fact that he would never be able to experience the undoubted physical joys and delights of her gorgeous body as long as Emily was alive, at that precise moment he felt sincerely grateful that Naomi was in fact gay and hopelessly in love with Emily. A lifelong ambition had been achieved.

**PART 3**

'Oh come on Ems, get real! This is your career that's at stake, you know. You can't afford to come over all moralistic and prissy. It's a dirty, ultra competitive business you've chosen to work in.'

Naomi wasn't holding back in giving Emily her forthright point of view. There was no point in telling Emily simply what she wanted to hear. Sometimes you had to be cruel to be kind, she said to herself, and this was one such occasion. Emily had to toughen up, and quick, otherwise she would be in danger of being swallowed up whole by some other more enterprising, ambitious bright young thing who didn't suffer from the twin evil pangs of conscience and delusions of loyalty and integrity that Emily clearly did.

'But Effy's my friend, Naoms. I can't do that to her, it would be horrible! I can't exploit a friend so callously just to further my career and get in with my boss.'

'Why not? I would…..if I had to. If there was no other way round it.'

Emily stared at Naomi in astonishment, speechless. This was a side of the blonde bombshell she had rarely seen before and she wasn't altogether sure she liked what she saw. She sat up in bed, where they had finally retired to after their initial session on top of the landing, and continued to look at Naomi pensively and with a deep frown furrowing her brow. 'I haven't got the guts to do it, Naoms. You're tougher than me, you don't care what other people think about you but I do. I wouldn't be able to look Effy in the face ever again if she found out how I used her to get a story out of James.'

'It depends how you do it, sweetheart. If you go blundering in with all the subtlety and sophistication of a gorilla at a garden party then of course you'll fuck up big time. But if you show a bit of imagination and ingenuity, you know, use that brain of yours to wheedle the information out without Sgt Hathaway even realising it, then you'll be perfectly safe. Nothing would ever be traced back to Effy and the two of you will still be good friends.'

'And how the fuck am I supposed to do that?' Emily slumped back in the bed, depressed and disillusioned all of sudden. She was starting to think she wasn't cut out for the mucky, murky, cut-throat profession of journalism. She would never be hard-nosed and pragmatic enough to succeed. Naomi would make a far better journalist than she ever could, she thought. Maybe the two of them should swap careers? She quite liked the idea of being an academic and immersing herself in the country's political and social history. It seemed an altogether far more honourable and noble way of earning a living than what she had herself in for.

'Why don't you leave it to me, Ems? I'll think of a plan and I promise I'll run through it with you before doing anything, okay? How about that? Is that a deal?'

Emily breathed a sigh of relief and nodded approvingly. She had been horribly afraid doer who tended to act first and think later. She hated people who dithered and hesitated and ended up doing nothing because they were too sacred something might go wrong. _You'll never learn from your mistakes if you're terrified to do something and make a mistake _she was constantly fond of repeating to anyone who was prepared to listen.

'It's a deal, Wonder Woman,' she said cheering up noticeably and expressing her gratitude by pulling Naomi towards her and planting a huge sensuous smacker on the blonde's warm, moist lips. They were all set to 'go again' with a second session of passionate love-making when the sound of a key in the door and voices downstairs told them that their late afternoon's privacy was finally at an end and that further sexual gratification would have to wait until another time – unless they particularly enjoyed having an audience which Emily certainly didn't although she wasn't totally sure where Naomi stood in that regard.

**PART 4**

It was a little after half past six when DI Lewis rang the bell of Dr Hobson's house and waited patiently for her to answer the door. He shuffled uncomfortably from one foot to the other and adjusted his bow tie for the umpteenth time since he had put it on half an hour earlier. A few seconds later the door opened and Laura Hobson appeared in the doorway, dressed in a stunning black evening gown, fully made up and sporting a wide smile which grew even wider as she eyed Lewis up and down approvingly.

'My, my, Robbie!' she said with a twinkle in her eyes. 'You **shall **go to the ball, Cinders!'

'Oh, don't you start,' said Lewis with a pained expression on his face as he pretended to be upset by the doctor's reaction to his appearance on her doorstep in full white tie and tails. Secretly, though, he was flattered by her sincere compliments and was more than a little blown away by how stunning she looked which he naturally attempted to conceal by some typically good-natured, self-deprecating banter and bluster. 'I've had enough mickey-taking already from the Chief Super. She asked me if I was going to the Royal Wedding and, if so, did I know I'd got my dates mixed up.'

Laura burst out laughing and her infectious laugh forced a rueful smile from Robbie Lewis. He liked it when Laura laughed. It always lightened his mood and made him feel happy to be with her, no matter how shit a day he had been having. At times like that it made him feel good to be alive and he couldn't say he had always felt that way since his wife had died.

'I feel like the bloody Penguin from Batman and Robin,' he admitted, pulling a face and Laura giggled again.

'Well, in that case perhaps I should go back inside and change into a leather cat suit if we're going to be seen out together in high society,' said Laura, raising her eyebrows for a word of encouragement from Robbie.

'There's no need for that, Laura,' said Robbie with a wink and a shy grin. 'You'll do just fine as you are.'

'Well, I'll take that as a compliment, Robbie. I don't get many of them nowadays.'

'I don't believe that for a minute,' said Lewis as Dr Hobson closed the front door behind her and walked up the garden path side by side with the dapper-looking Inspector. 'I'm sure you get paid compliments all the time.'

'Yes, you're right. I usually look pretty devastating in my forensics suit, even though I say so myself.'

It was Lewis's turn to burst out laughing and the two exchanged the warm, easy smiles of two people who had finally got used to relaxing and letting themselves go in each other's company after many years of metaphorically tiptoeing around each other for fear of saying or doing the wrong thing.

'I reckon you'd look sensational in a bin liner, Laura, if truth be told,' said Robbie with a serious though still undeniably kindly and genuine expression on his wrinkled face. Laura couldn't help instantly blushing despite her desperate attempts to cover up her embarrassment, the more so since she felt that Robbie meant every word of what he'd said. 'Oh, get away with you. You Geordie men would charm the hind legs off a donkey!'

Lewis gave Dr Hobson a broad grin and opened the passenger side door for her to step inside which she duly did with an exaggerated curtsey of gratitude, a humorous gesture which he returned with an extravagant bow as he closed the door behind her. This had all the makings of a wonderful evening, he thought as he almost skipped around the front of the car to open the driver's door. A performance of Wagner's opera Tristan and Isolde followed by dinner in the company of Laura Hobson was about as good as it got for him. It would certainly banish from his mind all thoughts of the disturbing developments that had occurred that day on his murder investigation.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

Many thanks once again to those anonymous reviewers whose reviews I am unable to reply to directly – I am thinking particularly of 'covertfan' and 'lastchancetodisco'. I appreciate your comments very much and am really grateful for all your support. I must also mention my most regular reviewer of My Little Eye – KeffyRules – who has been a loyal supporter right from the beginning and without whom I suspect I would feel a little bit lost!


	23. Chapter 23

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Effy has a difficult conversation at the police station with James who tells her he thinks they should stop seeing each other until the investigation is over. She in turn refuses to promise to tell the police if Cook gets in touch again. Naomi and Emily take advantage of a rare empty house to have an afternoon of passion on the upstairs landing, unaware that Cook is watching them from the attic and relieving his sexual frustration in the process. Naomi promises to concoct a plan to help Emily write a new story on the murders without exploiting Effy. DI Lewis arrives at Laura Hobson's to take her out to a concert for the evening.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: **

**PART 1**

Cook was getting very bored again. The giddy climactic excitement of his Peeping Tom afternoon's activities had long since past and he was back to being like a bear with a sore head, pacing up and down the attic, cursing and muttering under his breath. He was in serious danger of going stir crazy, he realised that. Whilst he appreciated he was in far less danger holed up in the attic than kicking his heels out in the streets where he might be spotted at any moment by one of Her Majesty's woodentops, he knew he had to get some air, he had to find some human company soon otherwise he would start to lose it, big time. He was not one of life's natural loner's, was Cook. He needed the comfort and security of a companion to make him feel alive and useful. At that moment he'd have taken spending a couple of hours with anyone, even his worst enemy, rather than be bored to tears all on his own.

He pulled his mobile out of his trouser pocket and flicked through the list of names in his contacts. One name in particular seemed to leap out at him and he nodded in approval and smiled before he pulled up the number and composed a short text message to send which he duly did. A minute or two later a response came firing back at him but it didn't prove to be the answer he was looking for. He frowned, swore and composed an instant peremptory, unambiguous reply to the unsympathetic sender.

'JJ, wtf u mean ur going out? I need to see u tonite! Make an excuse and wait 4 me 2 turn up, OK? Cookie's asking 4 a favour, right? U owe me 1.'

Cook wasn't totally convinced about the truth of the last sentence but he knew that JJ wouldn't question him but would do as he was asked. JJ was a loyal, true friend but above all a friend who was still terrified of what he, Cook, might do to him if he ever dared to stand up to him and say no. But Cook's bullish, bullying riposte appeared to have done the trick as JJ's next text was a resigned, weary acceptance of Cook's demands as he promised to stay at home and await his arrival, ending with a simple 'Where r u?' which made Cook snort with laughter. He replied 'never u mind about that, call me when ur alone.' Now that his evening's entertainment was sorted he was able to relax a bit more and he decided to have a short nap, fuelled by the graphic images of Naomi and Emily's erotic capers on the landing which had begun to filter through his mind again and cause renewed stirrings in the area of his ever active loins.

**PART 2**

'Are you sure you're not coming, JJ?' Emily turned round after putting on her jacket and shot a disappointed look at her friend who had surprised them all by announcing ten minutes ago that he would give the evening's group outing to the cinema a miss because of the sudden onset of a stomach-ache.

'I think it's for the best, Emily, said JJ, unable to look her in the eyes as he never could whenever he found himself forced to lie to someone. 'I don't want to spend half the evening in the cinema running back and forth to the toilet.'

'Well, I'll give the film a miss as well and stay with you,' said Lara. 'It's no fun being ill on your own.'

'No, no, don't do that!' cried JJ, alarmed that his hastily concocted subterfuge was in danger of backfiring on him. 'You go and enjoy yourself with the girls. It's our last night here after all. You deserve to go out and have a nice time after what you've been through. I'll be fine, don't you worry about me. I'll just have a lie down and a nap while you're gone. I'll probably be as right as rain in an hour or two.'

Lara and the rest of the girls all looked at JJ rather dubiously. This mysterious stomach-ache had seemed to come out of nowhere and Lara couldn't help remembering JJ having rather furtively checked his mobile a couple of times not more than half an hour or so ago. She wondered suspiciously if there was a connection between the two events. Could JJ have a secret lover whom he had arranged to meet up with as soon as she was out of the house and the coast was clear? She dismissed the idea with a contemptuous snort almost as soon as it had popped into her head. Ridiculous! JJ wasn't the sort of guy to play games like that behind her back and, besides, who could he possibly have got to know that well in Oxford after only a week or so? No, the notion was preposterous, she told herself, although she still had a gut feeling that there was more to this untimely stomach-ache than met the eye.

'Shall we get going, guys? JJ, if you feel better in an hour or two, then why don't you meet us outside the cinema at the end of the film and join us for something to eat?' suggested Naomi who was impatient to get everyone out of the house and down to town before the queues outside the cinema got too big. A relieved JJ nodded a touch too enthusiastically at the eminently sensible suggestion and in less than a minute the five girls had left him alone in the house, with only an excited yelping Harvey for company.

'Are you sure JJ's okay, Lara?' Emily asked as they made their way up the street heading for the bus stop. 'He's been acting a bit strange today.'

'How can you tell?' Katie had been unusually quiet for her ever since they had all got back to the house but she couldn't resist making a cutting comment on their friend whose erratic, nervous and wholly unpredictable behaviour had become a commonplace occurrence in their lives ever since they had come to know him.

'That's a bit rich coming from you, Katie,' Naomi said, with a sly wink at Lara whom she could see was weighing up whether to give Katie a bit of a blast for her harsh remark or let it go. 'You've hardly been the model of self-control and cool composure recently. Have you any plans to get into any more street fights tonight that we should know about?'

'Please, don't let's get into an argument now,' pleaded Emily desperately as she could see that Katie's face had turned as crimson red as a smacked arse and that her simmering temper and mounting frustration, deprived as she had been of the calming influence of alcohol all day, was just threatening to erupt. 'Can't we just enjoy ourselves tonight without any scenes? Why are we bickering all the time? I thought we were supposed to be friends?'

'Of course we are, Emily,' said Effy slipping an arm around the anxious redhead's shoulders and giving her a comforting hug whilst making a facial gesture at Naomi to make a rapid peace with Katie and nip any potential flashpoint in the bud. Naomi took the hint and apologised to Katie, albeit with a barely audible sigh masking her heavy reluctance, who in turn said sorry to Lara for her uncalled for remark about JJ. Apologies having been accepted all round, the five girls continued on their way as the conversation turned mercifully away from the subject of bizarre individual mood swings within the group and less controversially towards the film they were planning on seeing that evening.

**PART 3**

JJ wasted no time in texting Cook to let him know that the coast was clear and received an immediate reply from his mate asking him to unlock the back door and wait in the living room. It all seemed unnecessarily Secret Service cloak and dagger to JJ but he did as he was asked and retreated to the lounge to await Cook's arrival. As he sat there, with Harvey lying on the sofa next to him and affectionately licking the skin off his hands, his head was spinning with all manner of theories as to why Cook so urgently wanted to see him, where he had been hiding since he had done a runner on the night of the party and why he, JJ, had given in so feebly and meekly to Cook's unreasonable demands yet again.

Would he forever be at Cook's beck and call? Would he ever acquire the kind of courage and self-confidence needed to stand up to a domineering guy like Cook, look him squarely in the eyes and refuse to give in to his every whim and jump through hoops for him every time he asked him to? He shrugged his shoulders in weary resignation. He guessed not. That was why he, JJ was a nervous, gutless wimp who just wanted a quiet, uneventful life with his girlfriend and his children (plural!) and Cook was a reckless, risk-taker who would doubtless spend his entire life looking over his shoulder to see who was after his blood. JJ knew whose life he would rather be living.

He couldn't imagine Cook ever having a family to proudly take care of. In fact he couldn't imagine Cook ever staying in one place long enough to meet any girl and form a proper, long-term relationship with her, let alone allow kids into his already complicated, screwed up life. No, to his way of thinking Cook would be forever doomed to live a nomadic, restless existence, moving from place to place seeking a safe sanctuary far away from all his enemies, all the people he had pissed off, conned, fucked up and let down many of whom were prepared to bide their time until they had tracked him down and exacted a heavy and painful revenge. JJ shivered at the thought of such a demoralising, depressing life and prayed he would never get dragged into it by Cook, even unintentionally. Tonight would have to be the last time he would agree to be Cook's lapdog, he decided. If he wanted to make Lara, Albert and his unborn baby's lives safe, then he would have to tell Cook he didn't want to hear from him or see him again. The worm would have to turn!

All the while JJ was in the living room trying to summon up the courage to front up to Cook, the non-paying temporary tenant had opened up the attic door and swiftly wriggled down the rope and onto the upstairs landing. From there he moved noiselessly down the stairs and, spying JJ sitting with his back to him on the sofa, tiptoed past the open door and into the kitchen where he briefly raided the fridge and snaffled a couple of cans of cold beer which he carried back with him towards the lounge.

'Catch, JJ!' he cried as he entered the room and chucked a can over towards a startled. JJ who swivelled round in total surprise at being caught out so completely by his mate's apparently silent entry into the house. Harvey jumped down off the sofa and ran round yapping at full throttle to confront this stranger who had appeared out of the blue in their midst, the excitable puppy seemingly hell bent on defending his newly acquired and already much prized territory. Cook wisely took the sting out of the situation by kneeling down and giving Harvey a huge welcome, stroking, patting and generally making a huge fuss of him which so completely becalmed the little dog that he meekly trotted back to the sofa with Cook and resumed his position next to JJ, clearly satisfied that this intruder, who smelly vaguely familiar to him, presented no obvious threat to his happy environment.

'C….Co….Cook!' stuttered an astonished JJ as he wildly flapped his hands at the can of beer that was sent flying towards his face and caught hold of it though this was surely more by luck than judgement, JJ's hand to eye co-ordination being of a surprisingly low standard considering his easy manual dexterity when it came to magic tricks. 'I didn't hear you come in!'

'Of course you didn't, Jaykins. I'm too clever for you to hear me creep up on you. How the hell would I have given the cops the slip for so long if anybody could see or hear me moving about? I'm as light as a feather on my feet, JJ. I'm like Mohammed Ali, I float like a butterfly.'

'And sting like a bee, I suppose?' said JJ with a smile, recognising the legendary boxer's famous catchphrase.

'You'd better believe it, JJ. You don't want to get stung by me, trust me.'

JJ gave Cook a long, anxious stare and then quickly looked down at his feet as he felt Cook's eyes narrow and bore into him. Could Cook have read his mind just then? Could he have heard him as he thought to himself 'No, you're right, Cook. I don't want to get stung by you ANY MORE. Enough is enough. I want out after tonight.'

'Hey, JJ! Why the long, sad face? I'm here now to cheer you up. Come on, let's you and me have a few cold beers and you can fill me in on all the news before the others get back. We'll have a good old fashioned boys' night in.' Cook beamed a massive, reassuring smile at his dubious mate as he gulped down a huge mouthful of beer before launching himself onto the other sofa. He collapsed in a fit of laughter as some of the beer flew out of the can and went all over the place, some of it landing on his face while a bewildered JJ looked on helplessly, unsure whether he should be joining in with his mate's raucous, slightly hysterical and manic laughter.

**PART 4**

'Have you had a chance to look at those AA leaflets?' Emily whispered to Katie as the girls walked away from the cinema and headed off for a pizza to round off the evening's entertainment. The twins had fallen a few paces behind the other three so Emily judged it was safe enough to strike up a brief private conversation on the subject. Katie nodded meekly but remained tight-lipped as she still felt embarrassed talking about her drink problem, even with her sister.

'So, will you go to a meeting tomorrow evening, then?' Emily looked her twin squarely in the eyes and challenged her to refuse. 'We can go there together straight after I finish work.'

'This isn't going to be easy, you know, Ems. You make it sound like I'm just going along to a Neighbourhood Watch meeting or a parent/teacher evening. This is going to be the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life, you do realise that, don't you?'

'Of course, I do, Katie. I never suggested it would be a piece of piss. But you've got to start somewhere, haven't you? I'm sure once you get over that first hurdle, once you get through that first meeting and realise you're not alone, that there are dozens of other people all in the same boat as you, well I bet nothing will seem as bad and as difficult as that ever again.'

Katie looked at Emily with her most sceptical expression. 'How the fuck do you know that? You're just guessing, aren't you? You can't possibly know that for a fact. You're just trying to say all the right things to get me to go.' Katie knew that Emily meant well, that she would support her every step of the way but at that moment her sister just seemed to be coming out with the usual bland, meaningless platitudes which people trotted out in a crisis situation to persuade someone to do something really unpleasant they didn't want to do.

'No, you're right; I don't know any of that for sure. But that's why you need to go there yourself to see what it's like. But I am certain about one thing – if you don't start getting professional help bloody soon then you may end up too far down the slippery slope for anyone, even me, to pull you back. You'd better think about that, Katie and ask yourself if that's really what you want.'

Both girls fell silent and carried on walking in silence several paces behind the others for a good minute or so before Katie broke the uneasy atmosphere between the two girls with a question delivered in a very odd voice which sounded a million miles away from her normal brash, confident tones. 'Will you come with me to the meeting if I decide to go?'

'Of course I will! Obviously I won't go in but I'll be with you right up to the door and I'll wait there for you until the meeting ends. We're in this together, you and me, okay? I said I would always be there for you and I meant it.'

Katie gave a weak smile of relief and squeezed her sister's hand in gratitude as they stepped up their pace to rejoin the others. But deep down inside, behind the feeble smile which she had forced out for Emily's benefit, she had serious misgivings and doubts as to whether she had the necessary courage and mental strength to follow her commitment through.

**PART 5**

Naomi had been waiting for an opportunity to have a quiet word with Effy all evening and finally, with the other three girls having all disappeared to the ladies room together, the moment had arrived. She had noticed Effy had been fairly quiet during the evening even by her normal laconic standards and so she prefaced her plan of action with a casual enquiry designed to mask her true intentions.

'You've been quiet tonight, Effy. What's up? You haven't had a row with James, have you? I haven't seen you with him for a while.'

'Is it that obvious?' said Effy glumly as she took a sip of her drink and Naomi did well to conceal a feeling of frustration and disappointment at Effy's reply. It was going to be tricky, if not nigh on impossible for Effy to prise any juicy details out of Sgt James Hathaway if the two of them were no longer on speaking terms.

'What's happened? Don't tell me you two have split up! You seemed so good together.'

'Oh, come on, Naomi. It's not as if we were really together in the first place, were we? We've just been….well, hanging out together, that's all. I mean, it wasn't like he'd become the big love of my life.'

'Yeah, I know, but even still, you got on really well together, didn't you? I mean, you've seemed happier with James than with any other guy you've been with since…...' Naomi paused, suddenly realising where she was heading and not being terribly sure if she wanted to say the name that was on her lips. 'Well, for a very long time,' she continued, choosing to wimp out of mentioning Freddie's name.

'It's okay, Naomi, you are allowed to mention Freddie's name, you know,' said Effy with a controlled, half- amused expression as she could read Naomi's momentary uncertainty and awkwardness all over her face. 'I'm not going to fall to pieces as soon as someone says his name.'

'Right,' nodded Naomi with a relieved grin. 'So what's the score with James?'

'He thinks we should stop seeing each other until his murder investigation is over, at least. Cook is still a suspect and they're still desperate to find him and bring him in for questioning. He knows I've met up with Cook behind his back and that put him in a very difficult position with his boss on the case.'

'You've seen Cook since he fucked off?' Naomi's mouth dropped open in amazement and she pressed Effy for details which the brunette quickly filled her in on. 'Shit!' whispered the blonde whose heart had sunk a little further with the news that Effy and Hathaway were no longer spending all their spare time together. It was going to be damn difficult to squeeze a news story out of James now, she thought. '_Unless…_…' and an idea suddenly came to her. 'So what did you like so much about James? Tell me about him. What sort of guy is he? Your typical average copper or is there more to him than meets the eye?'

**PART 6**

Robbie Lewis lay back on Laura Hobson's comfortable sofa, swilled the glass of malt whisky in his hand and let out a long sigh of contentment at an immensely enjoyable evening that had surpassed even his high expectations.

'Now that sounds like a man who is happy with his lot in life,' said Laura Hobson with a wide smile as she came back into the living room and resumed her seat next to Robbie, ensuring that just a few tantalising inches separated the two of them.

'Definitely!' Robbie agreed, taking a sip of whisky and allowing the warm, golden comforting liquid to slide slowly and sensually down the back of his throat. 'Did you enjoy the evening as well?'

'I loved every minute of it. But then I can't remember a time that I've spent with you that I didn't enjoy.'

Robbie looked at Laura somewhat incredulously and decided to test the strength of that bold assertion which had given him such a warm glow inside that it made the whisky seem positively tepid in comparison. 'What? Are you quite sure that isn't the booze talking? What about all those grim meetings at the scene of the crime at unspeakable hours of the day, with the rain lashing down or the wind howling around our ears, you knee-deep in blood and gore, me yawning my head off or cursing my bad luck at having another quiet evening at home or early morning lie-in ruined by some maniac killer with no thought for our beauty sleep or peace of mind?'

'Especially at times like those!' said Laura with a mischievous glint in her eye. 'I doubt you'd ever get a smile or a cheery greeting out of me at all if it wasn't for the fact that I know you're going to be there to make it all worth while.'

'Yeah! A likely story! Are you sure it isn't the dishy Sgt Hathaway who puts a smile on your face instead?'

'The dishy Sgt Hathaway? Where did you get that from?' Laura feigned a show of outrage and disbelief that Robbie could accuse her of such an obviously flirtatious remark.

'Oh, I've heard you call him that on more than one occasion, don't try to deny it,' said Lewis with a sly grin.

'Maybe I was just trying to make you jealous.' Laura was sitting up now and leaning in closer to Robbie, a big beam spread across her face. She was loving this harmless game of cat and mouse one-upmanship with Robbie. It made such a refreshing change to see him completely relax and allow his natural humour to flourish away from the grim reality of their day jobs.

'Aye, maybe you were. Or maybe you've got a secret crush on him. If you have, I think I have a right to know as his commanding officer. I need his attention to be fully on the job, not exchanging secret lovesick glances with the team's pathologist.'

The pair started sniggering at their shared image of Laura and James swapping smouldering looks of pent up passion and longing across a crowded murder scene and quickly the sniggering turned to huge guffaws of laughter until both of them were out of control. Lewis's shoulders were shaking and the hand with which he was holding his half full glass of whisky suddenly lost all control with the result that the glass tilted over and the contents came pouring over the edge and went all down his shirt front.

The inspector let out a cry of anguish but it was far too late to repair the damage. The whisky had already begun to leave a dark brown stain on his pristine white shirt and Laura's reaction, which was to lurch forward to catch the glass before any more liquid could be released, was way too slow to have any meaningful effect. While Lewis sat cursing his clumsiness and frantically trying to mop up the mess with as wholly inadequate tissue he had pulled out of his trouser pocket, Laura had dashed into the kitchen and fetched some paper towels. On her return she sat down close to Lewis and helped him to mop up the rest of the whiskey while the two of them looked at each other and laughed even more intensely than a minute earlier.

'Why don't you take your shirt off and I'll pop it in the washing machine. It'll be done in an hour or two.' Laura laid a hand on Robbie's arm and flashed Robbie one of her breathtaking smiles that had always made him go weak at the knees and make his heart miss a beat and it was having the same effect on him now as on many occasions previously. 'I'll find another shirt for you to wear for the rest of the evening. Mind you, it might not go too well with your evening suit.'

'I'll risk the dirty looks from the fashion police,' said Robbie with a grin. 'Are you quite sure, Laura? I don't want to put you to any trouble.' Laura nodded eagerly, seemed to hesitate a fraction as if weighing up her next move and then quite unexpectedly leaned forward and kissed Robbie very tenderly but with genuine passion and emotion on the lips before getting up and making for the door. 'I'll get that shirt,' she said, not daring to turn around for fear of seeing a reaction on Robbie's face which was less than unconfined joy and bewildered pleasure. 'Why don't you stay over?' she fired as a parting shot before disappearing through the door, leaving Robbie groping to fathom out what the hell had just happened there and exactly how he felt about both the kiss and the invitation to spend the night at Laura's.


	24. Chapter 24

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Cook persuades JJ to make up an excuse to stay at home while the girls go to the cinema so they can have a secret drunken boys' night in. JJ tries to stand up to Cook and tell him he doesn't want to be part of his reckless life any more. Emily promises Katie she will go with her to her first AA meeting to give her moral support. During the evening Naomi attempts to extract some details from Effy about Hathaway and Lewis for Emily's next newspaper piece. Lewis and Hobson finish the evening at Hobson's house and she invites him to stay the night.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: **

**PART 1**

When Robbie Lewis opened his eyes and looked around it took him a little while to work out where the hell he was. He had never been much of a morning person anyway and to make matters worse his head was gently throbbing with the unmistakeable after effects of an evening's alcoholic excesses from the night before. He wasn't a heavy drinker either, certainly not in the league of his old boss Morse who would cheerfully put away countless pints of beer at any time of the day as if they were going out of fashion and annoyingly not appear to be any the worse for it. Lewis, by contrast, was a far more delicate and sensitive soul and, on the rare occasions when he allowed himself the luxury of a few drinks, he tended to pay the price for such largesse the next day.

As he sat up in bed, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of his bleary eyes, he forced himself to cast his mind back to the events of the previous night and that's when his stomach started doing somersaults. He could clearly recall coming back to Laura's house at the end of the evening – for he had deduced that was where he now was, in one of her bedrooms, no less! – and he vaguely remembered her inviting him to stay the night, a most generous invitation which he had clearly accepted. After that, though, things were a little hazy, if not bordering on a complete mental blank and it was that loss of memory about the crucial part of the evening which was scaring the shit out of him.

As Lewis carefully looked around the bedroom and focused his attention on things in a bit more detail, the dressing table opposite which was cluttered up with all manner of female cosmetics, the typical feminine touches of plants, framed pictures and floral cushions and curtains, he suddenly realised with a start that he hadn't gone to sleep in Laura's spare room but in her own bedroom. He let out a groan which intensified when he saw that he was wearing an unfamiliar t-shirt in addition to his boxers, a t-shirt which he couldn't possibly have chosen to wear to the concert the previous night. He put his head in his hands and tried furiously to think back, to drag out of his failing memory bank some crucial scrap of information which would shed some light on how he had come to find himself waking up in Laura's bed the next morning, dressed only in his underwear. He dreaded the prospect of having to face Laura, if she was still there of course, with no memory of what he or indeed the two of them had done the night before.

He was just about to get out of bed in search of the bathroom, with the intention of sticking his head under a shower in the hope that a few blasts of cold water on the brain might bring him to his senses and refresh his ailing memory, when the door opened. He looked up and with a thumping heart saw a smiling, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Laura enter the bedroom carrying a large wooden tray on which he guessed was their breakfast which he assumed she must have been preparing while she left him to carry on sleeping innocently, or perhaps not so innocently, in her bed. She was wearing a pale blue dressing-gown which covered up most of her body but Lewis was able to detect a pair of pink and white striped pyjama trousers hanging down towards her small, bare feet.

'Good morning, Robbie!' said Laura cheerfully as she moved over towards the bed. 'Just hold that a second for me, will you?' she asked and as Lewis instinctively reached out to grab hold of the tray, Laura slipped into the bed alongside him with out a trace of awkwardness or hesitation on her part, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for her to be doing and something she had done many times before.

'Good morning,' said an open-mouthed Robbie, forcing out an unconvincing smile as he waited for her to make herself comfortable and reclaim the tray from him.

'I hope you're hungry,' said Laura, her eyes almost laughing at the speechless, bemused inspector as he stared at her in total disbelief at this wholly surreal scene that they appeared to be acting out. 'I didn't know what you usually ate for breakfast so, as you can see I've…..well, I've pretty much brought up everything!'

She wasn't wrong, thought Lewis as he surveyed the contents of the tray which Laura had put down in front of them on the bed. Bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, toast, jam, marmalade, croissants, cereal, fruit juice, tea, and coffee: Lewis had never seen such a breakfast spread in all his life outside of the breakfast buffet bar of the very grand and spectacular Randolph Hotel in Oxford. Laura had certainly gone to a great deal of trouble to cater for his early morning taste buds and such generosity and selflessness served only to make him feel even more guilty and uncomfortable, a situation which made him squirm and wriggle a little in the bed.

'You shouldn't have gone to so much trouble, Laura,' he said, darting a nervous glance across at her and he was relieved to see her smile back at him.

'Don't be silly, Robbie. It was the least I could have done…after last night.'

On hearing those last words, loaded as they seemed to Lewis with ambiguity and open to any number of interpretations, the confused and befuddled inspector shot Laura another anxious look as he tried in vain to read her face, to see inside her head and second guess her thoughts. She was quietly getting together plates and cutlery for them to begin their breakfast in bed feast, without uttering a word. Was she patiently waiting for him to thank her for a wonderful evening? But he was sure he had already told her that when they got back to the house. Then what if she was waiting for him to announce what a fantastic night it had been with her?

OH MY GOD! What the hell should he do? He was sure that if they had slept together it would have been fantastic. But he didn't dare say the words in case they hadn't.? But if they had, how hurt and disappointed would she be if he said nothing about it this morning? He supposed he could admit he had no memory of what had happened at the end of the evening but surely that would be almost as bad! He felt trapped in a no-win situation, knowing he would be damned if he said something and equally damned if he said nothing. He decided his best course of immediate action would be to tuck in to the food on offer and hope that either his memory would start to return as he felt more awake and 'with it' or that Laura herself would say something which would give him a clue, a desperately needed lifeline by which he could save his reputation. The two of them ate in silence for a while before Laura broke the silence with the question he had been dreading.

'Did you enjoy last night, then?'

Lewis's stomach started doing somersaults again and he struggled to keep his composure and breathe normally as he ground out a hesitant, ambivalent reply.

'I always enjoy the time I spend with you, Laura. You should know that by now.'

Laura nodded and smiled but continued the horror show for Lewis. 'Yeah, I do but last night was….different, wasn't it?'

Lewis groaned inwardly and stared hard at his plate as he frantically searched for the right words to say. 'Yes, I suppose it was. But I had a really fantastic time. I want you to know that.'

'I'm glad,' said Laura. 'So did I. It's just a shame that….' She hesitated for a second and turned to look at Robbie somewhat shyly, as if expecting him to finish off the sentence for her or anticipate what she was going to say and spare her the need to come out and say it.

'How do you mean?' asked Lewis, being deliberately guarded and vague, as he tried to stay in the game as long as possible before committing himself to going down one path..

'Well, I'd like to think you didn't intend to fall asleep when you did. I can't pretend I wasn't a little disappointed to find you crashed out in bed like that when I came back from the bathroom but….'

'I'm really sorry about that, Laura,' said Lewis with a genuinely pained expression on his face as it now dawned on him that he must have missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime to bed the delicious Doctor through his own untimely drunken stupor. 'I guess I was just so tired that I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, not even for someone as wonderful as you. I shall probably regret that moment for the rest of my life.'

Laura couldn't help bursting out into a fit of giggles on seeing the look of utter dejection and desolation on Robbie's face as she watched him admit the painfully embarrassing truth. She believed his crushing disappointment was genuine and immediately felt sorry for him.

'Never mind, Robbie. There's always next time.'

'You mean….. you'd be prepared to give me another chance to prove I don't always fall asleep on the job?' His heart was now soaring up into the clouds again as he sensed Laura hadn't completely written him off as a dead loss.

'Oh, I think you deserve another go, Robbie. But maybe we'll both take it a bit easier with the booze next time, don't you think? We don't want it to be me who falls asleep on you, do we?' Her eyes sparkled with mischievous good humour and Robbie grinned back at her, breathing a sigh of relief and feeling sufficiently emboldened now to reach out and take Laura's left hand, bring it slowly up to his mouth and gently kiss it. He held on to her small delicate paw as he picked up his cup of coffee with his other hand, raised it in the air and said in an almost triumphant voice 'I'll definitely drink to that, Laura!'

**PART 2**

'You know what, Emily?' said Susie Peters as she leaned back casually in her imposing black leather chair and contemplated the draft article that Emily had knocked up that morning. 'I think you may just have something here.'

'Do you really think so?' Emily let out a sigh of relief. She had been so afraid her boss would throw her idea back in her face – well Naomi's idea actually, but obviously she wasn't going to let on to Susie that she had borrowed heavily from her girlfriend's 'research' for this article.

'Oh, yes. I think it could make quite an interesting story. No other paper's going to be covering these murders from the point of view of the investigating detectives. This will look at the case from a very different angle – provided you've got enough details on these two coppers to spin their stories out for a few weeks.' Susie looked up from the sheets of paper and stared hard but not in an unfriendly manner at Emily who was shifting nervously in the chair in front of her desk waiting for the chief editor to issue her verdict on the proposed piece for the next edition. 'Have you got enough on them?'

'Oh yes, Miss….Susie,' Emily replied, nodding furiously as her heartbeat increased its tempo with the little white lie that she was telling. She had enough basic facts and information for one article, that much was obvious but whether she could dig up any more personal stuff on James and Inspector Lewis, well that was another matter entirely. She would need to sit down with Naomi, rethink her strategy and consider carefully her next move if Susie really was about to give her blessing to this new angle of Emily's.

'Why don't you and I discuss it in more detail over a few drinks tonight, Emily?' Susie flashed a warm, encouraging smile at Emily who gave a little start of surprise at receiving such an unexpected invitation from her boss. She paused for a moment's thought before answering. 'If you're not doing anything else, that is, of course,' Susie added, almost as an afterthought and she raised a delicate eyebrow in enquiry.

'Oh, no, no of course I'm not,' said Emily hurriedly as she feverishly tried to remember what time she had agreed to go with Katie to the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting that evening. She couldn't let Katie down by pulling out, not after having fought so hard to persuade her reluctant sister to go in the first place but equally she didn't want to be seen to be turning down an invitation from her boss to talk business after work, which Emily correctly assumed was not an offer Susie made lightly to any Tom, Dick or Harry on the paper's staff. 'I'd like that very much,' she added with a shy smile.

'Excellent, my dear,' said Susie approvingly as she leaned forward to hand back to Emily her draft article. 'Shall we say eight thirty at the usual place?' Susie had a favourite wine bar in town where it was known she always liked to go if she was out drinking with some of the staff on the paper.

'That'll be fine,' Emily nodded as she got up from her chair and prepared to return to her desk. She reckoned she should just have enough time to see Katie safely inside the AA meeting and then leg it across town to get to the wine bar to meet Susie. She couldn't afford to be late, though. She felt sure Susie wasn't the sort of boss who was used to being kept waiting, particularly by junior members of her staff whom she had so generously taken under her personal wing. She would have to make damn sure Katie didn't fuck about that evening and jeopardise her appointment with Susie. Her job, indeed maybe her whole career might be at stake, she told herself as she left Susie's office.

**PART 3**

The trap door to the attic opened just a fraction and Cook looked down onto the landing, cocking his ear to listen out for any sounds of conversation from below. He had heard Emily, Katie and Naomi leave for work and college a good half hour ago, closely followed by JJ and Lara. He had hit upon the ruse of persuading JJ to take Lara out in the morning for one final jaunt around Oxford before they returned to Bristol thus paving the way for him to be left alone in the house with Effy and now he thought he had his long awaited opportunity to speak to her. The complete silence he was met with convinced him that there was no-one else left in the house.

He threw the rope down through the trap door opening, climbed down it in a trice with well-practiced skill and athleticism and moved towards the top of the stairs. He hoped to God that one of them had taken Harvey out with them – he didn't relish yet another confrontation with the excitable little dog as he had run out of food with which to distract him. He descended the stairs swiftly and noiselessly and tiptoed into the hallway, looking to his right in the direction of the kitchen which instantly reminded him that he hadn't had any breakfast. On entering the kitchen Cook saw that Harvey's basket was empty, confirming his suspicion that the pooch was out of the house and he breathed a sigh of relief. He opened the fridge door and within a minute he had stuffed a handful of goodies into a plastic bag to stave off any pangs of hunger for the rest of the day if it was still necessary for him to stay in hiding.

Having replenished his provisions he moved out of the kitchen and over towards the living room where he hoped he would find Effy chilling out alone. He was not wrong. As he pushed open the half closed door he could see Effy stretched out on the sofa next to the window, her back turned towards him, listening to some music on her ipod, the headphones and the volume of the music ensuring that she couldn't hear him as he moved into the room. He was standing right behind the unsuspecting brunette and paused for a moment to contemplate whether to give her the fright of her life or to go easy on her when the front door bell suddenly rang. It had the effect of causing Cook to freeze on the spot, almost as if time had stood still, as he weighed up his options of immediate action in a frantic battle against time and the odds.

The doorbell rang a second time, a little more insistently than the first effort and this second ring must have permeated Effy's consciousness as Cook still dithered, unsure quite what to do. He had hoped the caller would go away if no-one answered the second ring but to his horror he saw Effy start to sit up and reach up to remove her headphones. He had to act fast and so he did the only thing he could in the half a second that remained. He crouched down on all fours and dived behind the back of the sofa just as Effy removed her headphones and was able to hear the third, prolonged ring at the door. Holding his breath and keeping as still as possible, Cook heard Effy get up, go into the hallway and open the door. He strained his ears to listen to the conversation which with intense concentration he succeeded in doing for the most part.

'James!' said Effy with a mixture of surprise and delight in her voice. 'This is a surprise. I thought you didn't want….' But she got no further as Sgt Hathaway was quick to interrupt her.

'I'm here on police business, Effy,' he said stiffly. 'Is Naomi Campbell in? I need to speak with her urgently.'

'Um…..no, no I'm afraid she isn't. She's at college this morning. She won't be back until the afternoon, I think. Why? What do you want to speak to her about? She's not in any trouble, is she?'

'I'm afraid I can't say, Effy. I'll try to speak to her over at the college. If she should happen to call you, could you tell her we would like to have a word with her urgently.'

'Okay. But what if she asks what it's about?' Effy persisted.

'Just tell her we need to speak to her in connection with our enquiries.'

'James! Can't you tell me more than that? It'll scare the shit out of her if I tell her that.' She didn't much care for Hathaway's ultra-serious and solemn police voice and manner. She much preferred him when he was off duty and not so sinister and scary.

Hathaway shook his head ruefully. 'I'm sorry Effy, it's confidential police business, you know I can't talk to you about that.'

'You didn't mind telling me things before, though, did you? When we out together having fun, having a laugh. It didn't seem to be a problem then, did it? What's changed since then, James? Why are you so distant with me now? I thought we were friends.'

Hathaway remained tight-lipped as he stared down at the ground, not knowing what to say to console Effy who looked genuinely hurt and confused by his sudden change in behaviour and attitude towards her. Eventually he looked up at the poor girl with the sad face and said 'We still are friends, Effy. It's just that…..well, we've got a murder investigation to solve and that has to come first…before any friendships. At the end of the day I'm a copper first and foremost and I always will be. That's just the way it is, I'm afraid.'

Effy shook her head a little in amused bewilderment. 'I'm not asking you to stop being a copper, James. I'm just asking you to be a normal human being as well. Someone who has friends, who can laugh a little, have a bit of fun with other people when he's not being a policeman. You can't be a serious, boring old policeman every minute of every day, James. You'd go completely stark, staring mad.'

She was right, thought Hathaway, he knew she was right but he wasn't sure he knew how to stop being a copper all the time. Being a policeman was the only thing he was good at. It was all the other stuff, the being friends, the relaxing and having fun off duty stuff that he found so difficult. That didn't come naturally to him at all. He needed to really work hard at that side of his life if he was ever to make it work. Effy could be the one to help him achieve that balance in his life that was so obviously missing – if he would let her.

'Talking of completely mad,' he continued, fearing he might be go red with embarrassment if he carried on thinking about Effy, 'Have you heard from your friend James Cook recently?'

'No, not a word. Why? Has something happened?'

Hathaway nodded. 'You could say that,' he said, infuriating Effy once more with his guardedness and reluctance to let her in.

'Oh, please, James! You can't just leave it at that. What do you want me to tell him should he contact me?'

'Don't say anything. Just call me immediately you hear from him. Oh, and try to find out where he's hiding, will you?'

'What's he done now? He didn't kill those men in Oxford, James. I've told you that before. He would have no reason to kill them. He's not a murderer, I promise you.'

'Are you quite sure about that?'

'Yes! One hundred percent positive. He's not the sort of guy who would go around killing people left, right and centre. He's not some sort of sick psycho.' Effy stared at Hathaway defiantly, her eyes blazing with anger as she stood her ground on this point.

'Do you know a Dr John Foster, by any chance? He used to live and work in Bristol.'

Hathaway's question came like a bolt out of the blue and Effy's mouth flew open in amazement at the mention of the man who had been responsible for getting her on the emotional straight and narrow all those years ago. 'Dr Foster? Yes, but…why do you want to know that?

'How did you know him?'

'Well…he was my psychotherapist for a while, when I…well, when I was going through a bad time in my life. You remember I told you about that.'

Hathaway did indeed remember and nodded curtly.

'What's Dr Foster got to do with Cook? They never even knew each other. What's happened, James?'

Hathaway looked at Effy for a moment in an uneasy silence before deciding g he should answer her question, though it was with a heavy heart that he did so as he felt sure what he was about to say would cause her genuine shock and grief. 'The body of a man has been discovered recently in Bristol. It was found buried in the back garden of the house where this man used to live along with the murder weapon, a baseball bat. The body has been identified as that of Dr John Foster.'

Effy looked stunned at the news but managed to maintain sufficient composure to direct another question back at Hathaway. 'What's that got to do with Cook?'

'The murder weapon has Cook's fingerprints all over it.'

'I don't believe it,' said Effy with a strangled cry, her voice almost choking on itself as she struggled to take in what Hathaway was telling her. 'There must be some mistake. Cook wouldn't have killed Dr Foster. He had no reason to. He didn't even know him! Why would he kill someone he didn't even know? It doesn't make any sense. I simply don't believe it!'

'There's one other thing, Effy. The police in Bristol also found some bloodstained clothing buried with Dr Foster. The blood on the clothing is neither Foster's nor Cook's but belongs to an unknown third party. We're still trying to trace whose blood it might be.'

For a moment it looked as if Effy was going to faint, so unsteadily did she seem on her feet all of a sudden when Hathaway came out with this last piece of information. He half stepped forward in anticipation of catching her before she fell and hit the floor but she managed to hold herself upright although she was shaking violently and shaking her head from side to side. She had put her hand to her mouth to choke back a scream and tears had started to form in her eyes.

'Are you okay, Effy?' asked an anxious Hathaway. He reached out a hand to steady the clearly disturbed young woman who had taken a few steps back and was hanging on to the doorway for support.

'Can you please go now, James?' said Effy in a strained, unfamiliar voice which seemed to Hathaway like it was a million miles away. 'I would like to be left alone if you don't mind. I need time to take in what you've just told me. Please!' Hathaway nodded, turned and walked away from the house and back towards his car, leaving a shattered Effy hanging on to the front door for all she was worth. As soon as the sergeant had driven off in his car, Effy burst into tears before diving back inside the house, grabbing her car keys and slamming the front door shut behind her. Seconds later, with a bitterly frustrated Cook watching helplessly from the living room window, Effy flew out of the drive in her ex-boyfriend's car at a rate of knots and tore down the road.

**PART 4**

Naomi and Professor Greaves were sitting next to one another on Eleanor's stylish and extremely comfortable couch, sharing a mid-morning brandy and going through Naomi's latest chapter of her thesis when their cosy relaxed tutorial was rudely interrupted by a knock on the door. Professor Greaves let out an involuntary and typically Anglo-Saxon expletive which made Naomi giggle and smile which Eleanor returned with a sigh of frustration. The professor hated being disturbed during a private tutorial, all the more so when it was with one of her favourite students and always gave strict instructions to her secretary that they were not to be disturbed except in an emergency.

'Come in…. if you absolutely must!' she shouted, her tone betraying her annoyance. The two woman both turned their heads towards the door and were surprised to see Sgt Hathaway step into the room, his face a picture of solemn apology.

'I'm very sorry to interrupt your tutorial,' he said with a slight incline of his head by way of polite greeting, 'but I'm afraid I shall have to ask Miss Campbell to come with me to the police station. We have some further questions to ask her about the murder of Christopher Wells.'

Naomi turned pale and her mouth flew open in horror as she let out a gasp. She looked across at Professor Greaves who remained calm and composed but got up and approached the sergeant with a stern and determined expression on her face.

'What's this all about, Sergeant? Naomi has absolutely nothing to do with the murder of Mr Wells, I can assure you of that. Why on earth would you think she has?'

Hathaway came into the room and looked directly at Naomi whom he could see was shaking ever so slightly and was looking extremely nervous. 'Miss Campbell, we've had the results back of the DNA on the spliff found near the scene of the crime. I'm afraid to have to inform you we've matched the DNA on the spliff to the DNA sample you provided for us.'

The room fell deathly silent for a few seconds as Naomi turned even paler before Professor Greaves took the initiative and challenged Sgt Hathaway's authority. 'What the hell does that prove, Sergeant? It doesn't mean she killed the man, for God's sake! This is quite absurd. I think you'll find you are making a huge mistake and wasting a good deal of valuable police time if you take Naomi in for questioning as a suspect.'

'You may well be right in what you say, Professor but I'm afraid I shall have to ask Naomi to come with me in any event, even if she is an extremely unlikely suspect. We have questions to put to her and we need answers from her.'

Professor Greaves stared hard at Hathaway, as if attempting to hypnotise him into changing his mind but the sergeant was not a man to bow to pressure and intimidation. 'Listen, Naomi, my dear, you have absolutely nothing to worry about, I assure you. I'm quite certain the sergeant will realise very quickly when you answer his questions that you have nothing to do with this murder or any of the murders. Now, would you like me to fix you up with a solicitor? My own solicitor is an extremely able chap, I'm sure he won't mind in the least sitting in with you.'

'Naomi won't need a solicitor present, Professor Greaves. We're not charging her with anything at the moment, she's just helping us with our enquiries, that's all.'

'Well, I shall come with you to the station anyway, my dear. Just to make quite sure the police follow all the correct procedures and don't pressurise you into confessing to something you didn't do. As I'm sure you know, Sergeant Hathaway, I have a number of friends on various police committees so I am not without influence when it comes to police matters. I shall expect you to treat Naomi with courtesy and respect and uphold proper police practice for the whole of the time she is being interviewed by you.'

Professor Greaves couldn't have made her position and intentions any clearer and Hathaway gave a nod of acknowledgement as he invited a still stunned and scared Naomi to come with him. Eleanor put a comforting arm around Naomi's shoulders as the blonde approached the door and whispered reassuringly in her ear, 'Now, don't you worry about a thing, my dear. You'll be out of there in no time at all, I'll make sure of that. I'll be waiting for you in the police station and I promise I won't leave without you.'

Naomi gave Eleanor a weak, unconvincing smile of gratitude but was still sufficiently terrified as to be unable to prevent a few tears from flowing down her cheeks. She leaned into Eleanor's body and willingly allowed her professor to support her weight on one side as the pair went through the door together with Hathaway close behind on their heels.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

My laptop continues to give me untold grief and makes churning out new chapters every few days or so an almost impossible task so I'm afraid patience will be required if you want to follow this story to its conclusion! Many thanks indeed to those of you who are still bravely hanging in there and not giving up on it. I wish things could be different but they're not. Sadly one has to make do with the tools one has at one's disposal, be they antiquated or state of the art.

So what do you think of the developments in this latest chapter? What should Cook do now? How will Effy react to the news she's been given and where is she going in her car? Will Katie go to the AA meeting or bottle out of it? Just how creepy is Susie Peters and will Emily ever notice the signs before it's too late? Will Eleanor be on hand to help Naomi escape if she gets banged up in prison? And just who the hell is this blasted serial murderer? The answers to these and other questions will all be revealed in the ensuing chapters although not necessarily all in the next one!


	25. Chapter 25

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Robbie finds out the morning after the night before that he didn't sleep with Laura after all but fell asleep drunk before he could do anything. Laura forgives him and hints that she may give him a second chance. Emily's boss Susie invites Emily to discuss her new article over a few drinks in the evening and Emily gratefully accepts. Cook is almost caught out by the unexpected arrival at the house of James Hathaway who gives Effy some shocking news about the body of Dr Foster being discovered in Bristol together with the bloodstained clothes of an unknown second person. Naomi is taken to the police station for questioning about how her DNA has been traced to the spliff at the second murder scene.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

**PART 1**

'Okay, okay, I admit it was my spliff you found,' said Naomi as she looked up at Sgt Hathaway with big, tearful eyes whilst her heart pounded like a drum and her palms turned sweaty with apprehension. 'But I didn't kill Mr Wells, I promise you I didn't'

'I'm not accusing you of killing him, Naomi. Just tell me what happened,' said Hathaway gently as he leaned back in his chair and contemplated the clearly nervous young woman. He didn't think for one second that she was the brutal serial murderer they were trying to track down but he needed to know precisely what had happened that night from her point of view. 'Take your time, there's no hurry. I simply need you to tell me the truth about Saturday night.'

Naomi took some renewed heart from the sergeant's reassuring, friendly manner and after taking a deep breath to regain her composure she proceeded to give him a succinct yet accurate account of what had happened after she had left the house to take Harvey for his walk. Hathaway listened in silence and made the odd note here and there in his notebook whilst she gave her account. When she had finished, he looked over at the anxious girl whom he could see was still trembling slightly, a reaction he put down to understandable nervousness about the situation she was in rather than an obvious sign of guilt.

'Did you see anyone else near the scene, either before or after you discovered the body?'

Naomi shook her head. 'No, not a soul. I hardly met a single person all the time I was out.'

'Did anyone leave the house at the same time as you or even just a bit before you?'

Naomi bit her lip as she thought long and hard about this latest question .After racking her brains for a while trying to come up with some positive piece of information for the police, anything which might make up for her duplicity in concealing her connection with the spliff, she had to admit defeat and miserably shook her head. 'No, I don't remember anyone else leaving around the same time as I did, Sergeant. I'm sorry.'

'That's okay, Naomi. If that's the truth, then so be it. I don't want you making things up just to try to help us out or make up for the business with the spliff.'

'What's going to happen to me, Sergeant?' the blonde asked with a faltering voice as she choked back the tears 'Are you going to charge me with possession? Or even withholding vital information in a murder enquiry? Could I…..could I go to prison?'

Sgt. Hathaway gave Naomi a reassuring smile as he coolly closed his notebook and placed it on the interview room table. 'Oh, I don't think there'll be any need for that, Naomi. Seeing as this is your first offence, as it were. But I am required to give you an official bollocking about the foolishness of keeping back important information from the police while we're conducting an investigation. Not to mention giving you a first and final warning about smoking illegal substances, even it is just an occasional innocent spliff. I assume you aren't in the habit of smoking pot or dealing in drugs?' He raised his eyebrows as he looked at Naomi who immediately took the hint and assured him with the most sincere conviction she could muster that she was neither a regular drug user nor a dealer.

'Well, I think we'll leave it at that, then. But I must advise you to take very seriously what I've said. If we find out you've misled us or kept something important back again we won't be so lenient next time. In fact I suspect my inspector will probably want to throw the book at you so you have been warned. Do I make myself clear?'

Naomi let out a huge sigh of relief and nodded meekly and not without a considerable degree of shame and sense of humiliation at receiving such a stern ticking off from Sgt Hathaway who had succeeded in making Naomi feel like she was back in junior school receiving detention for talking at the back of the class. Two minutes later Hathaway was showing Naomi and Professor Greaves out of the station, the blonde almost peeing herself in her knickers with relief as she was released into the wild again. As the pair staggered out into the cool early afternoon air a delighted Eleanor put a comforting arm around her pupil's shoulders and squeezed them reassuringly whilst Naomi flashed her companion a weak, unconvincing smile which sought to conceal how frightened she had been during her uncomfortable ordeal in the police interview room.

**PART 2**

As Emily and Katie crossed the road and approached the unremarkable, nondescript grey building on the corner, Emily shot a sideways glance at her sister and could hardly fail to miss the tell-tale signs of nervousness and trepidation she was obviously experiencing. Katie was licking her lips, swallowing hard and beads of perspiration were beginning to form on her brow and threatening to trickle down her face which had turned a deathly pale complexion. Emily would not have been able to see her sister's stomach churning or feel her heart racing and thumping but she could have easily imagined it. For one second Emily thought Katie might be on the verge of fainting and so she grabbed hold of Katie's left hand and gave it a reassuring tight squeeze whilst she smiled at her sister and asked her if she was okay.

'Oh yeah, never felt better. I've been looking forward to this all day,' replied Katie with a grimace. It was the best attempt at gallows humour she could muster in the circumstances, given that she was absolutely shitting herself, felt like she was going to throw up and her bladder was screaming at her to allow it to empty its contents there and then on the street corner right in front of everyone.

'You'll be fine once you're inside and actually talking to other people who are going through the same thing as you are, trust me,' said Emily confidently. 'The build-up and the waiting for something unpleasant is always far worse than the event itself. Do you remember when we were little how I used to get the shakes and cry my eyes out whenever Mum took us to the dentist?'

Katie nodded silently and almost but not quite broke out into a superior smirk. She could vividly recall Emily at age nine or ten almost having to be dragged kicking and screaming by their mother to have a filling done whereas she never found a visit to the dentist to be any big deal unlike her more sensitive, squeamish younger sister.

'Well, the truth is having a filling done was never as terrifying or painful as the thought of having it done beforehand. The things we imagine are usually a hundred times more painful and scary than what they turn out to be. I expect it's the not knowing what's in store tonight that's scaring the shit out of you. I bet you anything you like it won't be anywhere near as bad as you think it'll be right now.'

'I'm not scared!' cried Katie defiantly in Emily's face. 'I'm just not convinced it's going to be any help, that's all. I'm not frightened of anyone or anything.'

'That's my girl,' said Emily approvingly and squeezed Katie's hand again in admiration. Katie suddenly became very self-conscious and awkward about standing in the middle of the street holding hands with another girl as people passed them by and hurriedly withdrew her hand with an expression of irritation which disappointed Emily a little. 'Come on, then,' she said with a sigh of frustration, 'In you go, Katie. It's time to face your demons.'

Katie nodded with a visible degree of reluctance as she looked up at the small plain door in front of her and, aided by the tiniest of nudges from her twin, stepped forward and slowly opened it and nervously peered inside.

'I'll be here waiting for you when it's all over and you can tell me all about it on the way home. We can celebrate the success of your first meeting with a nice cup of tea and some chocolate biscuits,' she promised with a warm, encouraging smile and a twinkle in her eyes.

'Perfect,' said Katie with a broad smile that was way too over the top to carry any hint of sincerity. 'What could be better?' she pronounced with heavy sarcasm as she passed through the open doorway and closed the door firmly shut behind her, leaving an uncertain Emily deep in thought on the doorstep. After a few seconds quiet contemplation Emily turned round and began to retrace her steps back across the road. When she got to the other side she plonked herself down on a bench and sat gazing suspiciously over at the little door, half expecting Katie to emerge through it in a minute or two, presumably having given her sister enough time to disappear from sight, thus affording her the chance of escape.

Emily hated herself for showing so little trust and faith in her twin but five minutes later she was beside herself with joy and relief on concluding that Katie had obviously decided not to take the easy, coward's way out. Katie was going to tough it out after all and not let her sister and, more importantly herself, down when it came to the crunch. 'Good for you, Katie!' she said out loud as she got up off the bench and, looking anxiously at her watch, the redhead started briskly making her way across town for her eagerly anticipated meeting with Susie Peters in the wine bar.

**PART 3**

When Katie closed the door on Emily and the outside world her first thought was to hang around inside for a minute or two near the door and then make good her escape once Emily had disappeared out of sight. She noticed there was an odd little window to the right of the front door and she went over to it, parted the net curtains the merest fraction and peeped out with one eye shut through the wafer thin crack of light to observe Emily walk away and cross the road. She gave a sigh of relief which soon turned to one of anguish and frustration when she saw Emily sit down on the bench and turn her head back towards the door. Katie pulled away from the window with a sudden involuntary jerk of her head and prayed that Emily hadn't noticed the curtains move as she released them back to their former position.

'Fuck you, Emily, you suspicious cow!' Katie groaned as she leant back against the cold hard wall and her shoulders slumped in dejection and abject misery. She closed her eyes and screwed them tight as if attempting forlornly to shut out the harsh reality of the situation she was in. Had there been any sand to hand she would doubtless have tried to stick her head in it. The sound of a noise at the door jolted her out of her wishful thinking and she let out a gasp of surprise as the door opened and a middle aged man came in through the doorway. He shut the door quickly behind him, looked across in amusement at Katie, giving her a sympathetic, knowing smile but continued on his way, heading for the staircase on the left and briskly trotting up the stairs with an assured, purposeful manner.

Katie's mouth and throat felt horribly dry and she was gasping for a drink to steady her shattered nerves and give her the strength to carry on. But how could she get past the watchful eyes of her sister who clearly had little or no faith in her courage and determination to seek urgent professional help, starting that very evening. But then fate took a hand just as she was on the point of admitting defeat and preparing to face the music with Emily outside. She heard the distant crash of a door and, intrigued and gripped with a desperate sense of hope and salvation, trotted forward somewhat hesitantly to try to locate its source. She crossed the hallway and veered off towards the right down what turned out to be a long, dark, musty corridor at the end of which she could hear the unmistakeable echoing sound of footsteps coming towards her.

As Katie advanced down the corridor she could eventually make out the outline of a woman coming towards her, a woman with short blonde hair wearing a dark coat, jeans and trainers. As they came alongside one another Katie blurted out the question that was reverberating in her head. 'Is there a back door here somewhere?' In her febrile anxiety she didn't even bother with the niceties of common courtesy but fortunately for her the woman didn't take exception to the absence of any 'please' or 'excuse me', merely nodding and pointing behind her. Katie forced out a grateful thank you and almost ran the rest of the way until she finally came upon a heavy fire exit door whose bars she pushed down forcefully and stumbled out into the open air with all the relief and desperation of someone escaping from a raging fire inside the building. At last she was free and as she bent over double to get her breath back, sucking in huge gulps of air and feeling her heart thumping at the rate of knots, she knew exactly where she was going to head for next.

**PART 4**

Slightly out of breath for having covered the last hundred yards or so at a more than brisk pace, Emily entered the wine bar and cast anxious looks all around, seeking out the familiar sight of Susie Peters. An encouraging wave and a cheery smile reassured Emily that her boss had not stormed off in a rage at having been left waiting by her disrespectful junior employee. Seconds later the redhead had sat down at the table Susie had chosen in a corner of the room, sufficiently far enough away from the other patrons to afford the pair of them a measure of privacy and quiet, and apologised profusely for being a little late, a gesture which Susie dismissed instantly with a warm smile. Her boss poured Emily a glass of chilled white wine from the bottle sitting in the ice bucket and handed it to her, picking up her own half full glass to clink delicately with Emily's as she said 'Cheers'.

'Thank you so much for this, Susie,' said a still slightly flushed Emily as she allowed the cool, smooth liquid to trickle down her throat and breathe new life into her nervous, trembling body. 'I feel very privileged, to be honest. I'm not quite sure what I've done to deserve this special attention.'

'You're very modest, my dear,' replied Susie with a hint of a smile on her lips as she looked deep into Emily's eyes, 'which is another one of your qualities that I find so beguiling and appealing. I like women who aren't aware how talented and beautiful they are.'

Emily blushed on hearing the compliments Susie was paying her and looked down at her glass, taking another mouthful of wine to try and hide her embarrassment. She was secretly overjoyed to hear that Susie had such a high opinion of her journalistic abilities – she refused to believe the reference to her looks, she was sure Susie was just being kind there – but was terrified that the article she had started on Lewis and Hathaway might not turn out to be the runaway success that Susie was expecting it to be. After all these flattering compliments Emily was scared shitless about letting her boss down.

'Oh, I don't know about that,' she said shyly, letting out a nervous giggle which forced Susie into a huge smile. 'I'm still trying to find my feet really. I've got so much to learn about this business, I feel quite out of my depth at times. I look at all the others on the paper and wonder how I'll ever be anywhere near as good as them.'

'Talent will always come through, Emily, believe you me. Provided you work hard, listen to the right people at the right times, learn from your mistakes and above all believe in yourself, then I promise you things will work out just fine. I have great faith in you, you know. I see things in you that…..well, that remind me of ME when I was starting out in the business, all those years ago. You simply have to have a bit more self-confidence. I know you'll make it eventually.'

Emily gave Susie an uncertain half-smile. She wished she shared her boss's confidence in her but she was far from convinced she had what it took to make a big name for herself in the newspaper industry. She was well aware it was a harsh, sometimes brutal, cut-throat world, still largely dominated by men and deep down she knew she wasn't one of those naturally hard-nosed, feisty, ballsy, confident woman who tended to make an impact in such an unforgiving macho environment – in short she wasn't a Susie Peters. Maybe though, just maybe, with the right kind of schooling, the right kind of attentive nurturing and personal hands-on development from her kind and generous boss she could be moulded and fashioned into another Susie Peters.

By an uncanny coincidence that was precisely what her boss was thinking at that very moment as she carefully studied the delicate, fragile yet oh so captivating and striking features of the beautiful young redhead sitting tantalisingly close to her. Susie could only marvel at Emily's apparent innocence and naivety in being so blissfully unaware of the effect she was having on her much older, wiser and more experienced female companion and the latest in a long line of self-confessed admirers of her beauty.

**PART 5**

For the second time inside half an hour Katie Fitch approached the small front door of the grey building at the corner of the street but with nothing remotely like the sense of fear and apprehension of the first occasion. On the contrary she had something akin to a jaunty spring in her step as she opened the door and passed confidently inside, slamming the door shut behind her without a backward glance. She strode forward and slowly and deliberately climbed the narrow staircase, hanging on to the banister as she did so until she reached the second floor where Emily had told her the AA meeting room was to be found.

She moved unsteadily down the passageway to the right of the landing until she had almost reached the end and found herself standing outside room 101 from where she could hear the muffled sounds of voices as she pressed one ear to the door and listened hard. She held her breath as she tried to concentrate on the conversation taking place inside the room but it was all to no avail. Despite her best efforts a loud hiccup escaped her mouth which sounded all the more deafening to her because of the eerie stillness all around her in the corridor which had effect of creating a terrifying echo which must have reverberated along the length of the corridor and quite probably through the closed door as well.

Commendably and unashamedly undeterred Katie was unable to suppress a fit of giggles as she fought valiantly to prevent a second stentorian hiccup from letting rip from way down within her chest. Having won the battle to regain her composure with more than a little difficulty, she told herself to get a grip and concentrate and after taking one final deep breath she hammered on the door and without waiting to be invited she entered the room with what looked suspiciously like a mischievous grin on her face. As she burst forward into the room a sea of faces swivelled round and stared hard at her with a mixture of surprise and wide-eyed curiosity. Realising that her rather dramatic entrance had made her the centre of attention Katie stared back at the group in exaggerated fashion, her goggle eyes bulging wide as she presented a defiant front to the rows of people who were eyeing her up with a combination of uncertainty, apprehension and in some cases, she was certain, pure distaste and disapproval.

'What are you lot all looking at?' was her opening gambit as her face swiftly transformed from its initial endearing bravado into an open sneer of contempt.

'So what if I'm a bit late? This isn't a bloody classroom, is it?'

Mouths shot open and bemused glances were exchanged amongst those present and Katie was just on the point of following up her cheery greeting with another well judged pleasantry when a middle-aged man wearing glasses and untidy hair stood up and politely welcomed Katie to the group and invited her to find a spare seat and join them. Most of the faces that were still fixed firmly on Katie with undisguised fascination turned round again and resumed their former position, presumably relieved that someone had taken control of the awkward situation and had called for order to be restored and for the normal proceedings to recommence.

Katie looked briefly through glazed eyes at the guy whom she presumed to be the leader of the group, weighing up in her fuzzy and befuddled mind whether to challenge his authority or let it go and decided on the latter. She gave a curt nod in response and tottered forward towards the back row of seats with in equal measures a menacing scowl at those faces that were still transfixed by her and a startling lack of grace and poise. Mercifully for her there was a free chair at the end of the row which at least meant she didn't have to negotiate a potentially treacherous path past any of those already seated but instead could collapse into her seat with a thud that echoed all around the room and prompted a few sniggers and titters which made her bleary eyes blaze with barely restrained fury as she looked over towards where the chuckling had come from.

'I'm sorry, have any of you arseholes got a problem?' she cried out to no-one in particular before adding as an afterthought 'apart from the bleeding obvious, of course' which prompted her to burst out into a fit of laughter which ended only when the woman sitting next to her gave her a chilling, disapproving look that suggested Katie might want to consider shutting the fuck up. She did as she was asked and sank back in her seat with a heavy sigh, folding her arms in bored resignation. _Hopefully this poxy meeting won't last much longer_, she thought, _and then we can all bugger off down the pub and have a fucking drink. This god-awful bunch of zombies looks totally brain-dead already. They could do with a bloody good drink just to put some life into them._

Katie listened for a while as the meeting continued where it had been so harshly interrupted with a man aged about thirty with brown hair, sunken cheeks and a slow, hesitant, nervous manner which quickly almost sent Katie to sleep standing up and talking about how he had managed to stay off the drink for two months now and how much better he felt as a result. If that's how he looks since he's been dry, thought Katie, fuck knows what a state he must have been in when he was knocking back the booze. She gradually became aware that the woman on her left was stealing occasional sideways glances at her with a face like thunder and was wrinkling her nose in disgust at something or other. A couple of people in the row immediately in front of her also turned round from time to time to stare at her and Katie would have been hugely tempted to say something abusive and cutting to the lot of them if she hadn't suddenly felt the room start to spin round and her eyes lose focus on everything around her. She felt like she was going to fall out of her chair and she hurriedly grabbed hold of the sides firmly with both hands and willed herself to stay awake and not pass out which she still might have done had her attention not been attracted by a sudden dig in the ribs from the woman next to her who was fixing yet another of her disapproving stares at her.

'Michael's talking to you!' she said, nodding over at the group leader who had stood up again and was looking over in Katie's direction with a friendly and encouraging smile on his face. Katie took a deep breath and forced herself to look across at Michael who in a cheery voice repeated his invitation to Katie to be terribly brave and stand up and tell everyone who she was and why she had come to the meeting.

'Oh shit!' muttered Katie under her breath but felt compelled to attempt to stand up as she realised that all heads and eyes had now turned towards her, not for the first time since her arrival, but this time the faces were kind, friendly and sympathetic and were murmuring polite words of encouragement. She struggled to her feet with an enormous effort of will-power, still hanging on to the side of the chair with one hand but as she stood up she let out the loudest of all the hiccups she had managed that afternoon which instantly sent her into a fit of hysterical giggles. She could see that this had stunned the assembled crowd of like-minded piss artists into an uncomfortable silence which made her laugh even more.

'Okay, right. Well, um….yes, well, you want to hear my story, then, do you?'

'Why don't you just start off by introducing yourself to us,' suggested Michael with an uncertain smile, not knowing whether this was going to prove a good idea or not but feeling that he had to test the water with the new arrival to ascertain the strength of her resolve and conviction.

Katie nodded, puffed out her cheeks and tried really hard to focus on Michael who was standing at the front of the room not ten paces or so away from her but as far as Katie was concerned he might as well have been ten miles away for all the difference that would have made. His outline seemed to have become terribly blurry all of a sudden and he kept disappearing from view only to reappear again moments later in a different place. It was really annoying, she thought, why the fuck wouldn't he stand still? How could she possibly talk to him if he was continually moving about the place? She leaned forward a little to try to see where he had got to now and almost toppled over, just managing to retain her balance at the last second by grabbing on to the chair in front of her. She let out another involuntary giggle and straightened up, this time grimly determined to maintain her balance and hold on to her consciousness.

'My name….. is…. Katie Fitch,' she began, pausing between words as the intensity of the effort required to remember her own name caused her to screw up her face in a study of concentration, ' and…. I know you aren't going to believe this for a second but… I'm an…..alcoholic.' With exquisite timing and a genuine sense of performance Katie just succeeded in getting out the crucial words before the inevitable happened. She lost all consciousness, her legs turned to jelly and collapsed beneath her and she keeled over onto the floor, hitting the ground with a thump like a dead weight and crashing into the two chairs in front of her, taking both the people sitting on them down with her in a mini domino effect.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

Sorry it's been _so_ long since the last chapter. The laptop is still crap, work has been horrendous and my enthusiasm for and belief in the story is waning somewhat as a result. I did want to write the scenes in this chapter though as I have had them in my head for some time and wanted to transfer them to print however good or bad they come across.

May I say a few words of thanks to 'Anon' who reviewed my last chapter? I'm not too sure whether this is the same person who has given me reviews on earlier chapters – it could be a totally different anonymous reviewer but thank you whoever you are all the same. Your comment was much appreciated and it's great to know someone hasn't given up on me or the story despite the admittedly long intervals between chapters recently!


	26. Chapter 26

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

I would like to apologise to everyone who has been following this story since the beginning for the last two months of total inactivity. Unfortunately my mother was taken ill at the beginning of November after which my personal life had to be put completely on hold until she got better which happily she now has. At long last my life can return to relative normality after the traumas of November and December which means, amongst other things, that I can resume writing My Little Eye.

Whether I succeed in picking up from where I was forced to leave off remains to be seen. My fear is that I may have lost the tempo, rhythm and direction of the story but I shall do my best to continue with it towards a meaningful conclusion. I accept that it must have been very frustrating for many of you to have been kept waiting so long for an update and again can only apologise for this. Hopefully some of you will be prepared to revisit it and see it through to its conclusion which I shall try to make as suspenseful and interesting as possible. Thank you so much for your patience!

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Naomi comes clean about the spliff and is relieved to get away with nothing more than a reprimand from Hathaway and a warning not to hold back vital information again. Emily accompanies Katie to her first AA meeting but once inside Katie lets her nerves and fears get the better of her and she escapes through the fire exit in a desperate search for some Dutch courage. Emily meets up with her boss at the wine bar and feels flattered by the attention, easy compliments and white wine that Susie showers upon her. In the meantime a seriously pissed Katie causes a scene when she storms into the AA meeting and ends up passing out in a drunken stupor in front of her fellow alcoholics.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

**PART 1**

Emily was beginning to feel distinctly light-headed and giddy and it wasn't all down to the white wine which Susie Peters had been liberally plying her with over the last hour. She was finding Susie's close attentions quite intoxicating. Her boss had succeeded in manoeuvring herself right up against Emily so that their bodies were touching each other and the redhead could constantly feel the soft, smooth skin and curvy contours of Susie's magnificent body pressing up against her whenever Susie leaned in towards her. Emily felt like she was being cast under a subtle hypnotic spell or lured into a complex spider's web that Susie was delicately and skilfully weaving right under her nose.

She glanced surreptitiously at her watch and saw she had around another fifteen minutes before she would have to leave so as to be back outside the AA meeting in time for Katie's triumphant exit.

'You seem anxious about the time, Emily,' said an observant Susie with an inquisitive look at her young companion. 'I hope I'm not keeping you from anything important.'

'Oh….no, not at all,' replied Emily, flashing Susie a nervous smile which sought to conceal the immediate pangs of guilt she felt at putting such a low value on her moral support of Katie in her sister's hour of need. 'I…..I will need to go soon but…not just yet.'

'Good,' said Susie, readjusting her position on the seat even closer to Emily so that the length of her right side was pressed right up against Emily's left, their legs and arms touching. Emily could feel Susie's sweet breath and alluring perfume fill her nostrils and go straight to her head, making her feel all the more giddy and bringing her out in a shower of goose bumps. 'I've so enjoyed our little chat tonight. I hope it's not the last time we meet up together. I've got so much to teach you, after all.'

Emily nodded enthusiastically and gushed a response before she could stop herself. 'Oh, I know, Susie. I'm so grateful to you for sparing me so much of your time. I would love to learn everything I can from you about how to become a really good journalist.'

'Well, yes….. I can help you with that too, I suppose,' said Susie with the hint of a mischievous grin on her lips. 'But I was thinking more along the lines of getting to know you better as a person, as a woman, Emily. I feel I need to get to know the real you – if I'm to help you to realise your ambitions in the business.'

'Absolutely,' nodded Emily and she smiled back at Susie who was fixing her at close quarters a benevolent, smouldering gaze with her piercing and enchanting eyes which seemed to be trying to see into Emily's very soul. 'I'd love that, really I would.'

'You see, you're relatively new at this game, aren't you my dear whereas I…..well, I've got years of experience to pass on to you. I can show you things you would never dream of, I promise you. I can take you to places you couldn't even begin to imagine existed. I know you're not…..well, how shall I say….a complete innocent but I'm the woman who can turn you into the finished article, trust me. No-one else will be able to help you realise your full potential as a woman…..and a journalist, of course, better than me.'

Susie could see that Emily was hanging on to every word she was saying and as she stared deep into the young woman's eyes she patted Emily's hand softly and gave it a comforting and reassuring squeeze which prompted a shy smile from the captivated redhead. The older, vastly more experienced woman almost imperceptibly moved her head forward so that her full red lips were no more than a few centimetres away from Emily's, all the while never taking her eyes off her. Emily appeared to be transfixed, unable to move a muscle or utter a sound either in protest or agreement at what Susie was so obviously on the point of doing. Both women were holding their breath in nervous anticipation or total helplessness and resigned acceptance. It was hard to distinguish between the two emotions or precisely determine where one finished and the other started.

Susie confidently moved her head forward the remaining few centimetres and noted with triumphant approval that Emily's eyes had started to close as their lips were practically touching when suddenly Emily's mobile rang. The redhead jerked her head back in startled surprise and let out a gasp which seemed more an expression of horror at the realisation of what she had been on the point of doing than a natural reaction to an unexpected and unsolicited interruption. She muttered a garbled apology to Susie and began to hunt about in her bag for her phone while Susie coolly leaned back in her seat, took another sip of wine and quietly and patiently contemplated the anxious young woman fumbling nervously next to her.

If Susie was annoyed at the unwelcome interruption at such a crucial moment she hid it very well. She watched closely as Emily found her mobile and took the call, her expert eyes lingering salaciously over the redhead's delicate features, safe in the knowledge that her attention was distracted and so would be completely unaware of the minute study Susie was making of her young body. She couldn't help but notice the horrified concern that spread all over Emily's face as she listened intently to the person on the other end of the line. She was intrigued when Emily closed her eyes for a few brief seconds and gave a heavy sigh before finishing the call with a curt 'Okay, I'll be right over,' and hanging up.

'I'm really sorry, Susie, but I'm going to have to go. Something's cropped up and…I need to be somewhere. Else.'

'Is everything all right, my dear? You've turned dreadfully pale, you know,' said Susie, seemingly genuinely concerned for Emily as she could see her whole demeanour and mood had changed for the worse with the phone call.

'It's just my sister. She's…' and Emily paused for a moment, searching for the right words to say. She didn't want her boss to know about Katie's little problem if she could possibly help it in case it set her off wondering if chronic alcoholism ran in the whole Fitch family. 'She's been taken ill, that's all. It's probably nothing but I need to go to her right away.'

The two women stood up and Emily drained the remnants of her glass of wine and picked up her bag to go. Susie asked Emily if she could help at all, even offering to go with her and keep her company along the way.

'No, no! I mean…..thank you very much, Susie, that's really kind of you but I'll be fine on my own, honest. It doesn't sound like it's anything too serious. I'm sure Katie will be as right as rain once I get there,' said Emily, flashing a grateful smile at her boss who accepted her assurances and followed her out of the wine bar. '_Or as soon as I sober the stupid cow up, at least,_' thought Emily as she fought to conceal her intense anger and disappointment until Susie had said her goodbyes and left her on her own.

**PART 2**

Naomi let out a huge yawn, pushed away the book she had been reading for the last hour with a heavy sigh and slumped down on the sofa with exhaustion. She had had quite enough of studying for one day and was even more fed up with being on her own. It was a very rare event to find herself in the house all alone what with it having been turned into something more akin to a hotel over the past week or so. But she was no longer the solitary loner of her teenage years who preferred her own company to that of other people. Nowadays she hated being stuck on her own and she especially suffered whenever Emily wasn't around. She entirely understood why Emily had to devote that particular evening to Katie but it didn't make it any easier for Naomi to bear. She hated not being able to spend any of her precious evenings with her girlfriends, even if she couldn't have her all to herself. Just being apart from her for a few hours killed her.

It wasn't as if there was anyone else around to amuse her and distract her until Emily returned. JJ and Lara had gone back to Bristol at lunchtime and she hadn't seen hide nor hair of Effy since early that morning. She wondered if their friend had made it up again with Sgt. Hathaway and sniggered at the mischievous thought that the two of them might be having wild, passionate sex together at that very moment. Was the very upright, correct and serious detective the wild, passionate type in private? She knew Effy was, of course, but what about the dear sergeant? She wasn't entirely convinced but reckoned that if anyone could persuade him to let his hair down, get rid of his inhibitions and just let himself go in an unbridled, uncomplicated sex extravaganza, it was Effy.

Almost as if he had picked up on Naomi's yawning and sighing Harvey pricked his ears and sat up, gave a little whimper of sympathy and jumped up onto the sofa to lie down next to his mistress and comfort her. 'Hi there, Harvey!' said Naomi with a smile as she threw her arms around the little dog and gave him a big hug to which he responded in time honoured fashion by licking her face feverishly with his incredibly long and wet tongue. 'Thanks, sweetheart,' she said, screwing up her face despite laughing and wiped away the doggy moisture with the sleeve of her jumper. 'I know I'm missing Ems tonight but I'm afraid you're just not in her league as a kisser.' She stroked the happy dog who had taken no exception to Naomi's hurtful remarks but rather wagged his tail from side to side and snuggled up to Naomi's chest as she wrapped her arms around him once again.

She dozed off for a while with Harvey snugly stretched out next to her until they were both rudely awakened by the sound of a key in the front door and raised voices in the hallway. She struggled to half sit up and turned her head towards the door while Harvey jumped down from the settee and ran round it yapping to see what the commotion was about. Naomi watched a clearly disgruntled Emily stagger into the room supporting her twin sister who seemed to be hanging on to Emily for dear life. Katie's face was a deathly white and her eyes were half closed while her legs appeared to have almost completely given way and Emily virtually dragged Katie over towards the other sofa and throw her down onto it. Katie hardly made a sound as she hit the sofa face down but lay motionless with one arm hanging limp and lifeless over the side.

'What the fuck…?' Naomi jumped to her feet and moved smartly over to Emily who had sat down on the edge of the sofa and was staring down at her sister with tears in her eyes and a furious expression on her face. 'What's happened? Has she had an accident?'

'Oh yeah, you could say that. She's accidentally got totally and utterly rat-arsed, caused a fucking great scene at the AA meeting and then passed out in front of anyone. Complete accident – could have happened to anyone.'

'Isn't the AA supposed to help you get off the booze, not encourage you to get back on it? Anyway, I thought you were going with her to the meeting,' said Naomi, kneeling down on the floor and putting her arms around her girlfriend who looked emotionally shattered as well as physically exhausted.

'I did. But I obviously underestimated her desperation for a drink and her deviousness at giving me the slip. Stupid, stupid cow!' Emily burst into tears and Naomi cradled the redhead tight in her arms for several minutes. All her feelings of disappointment and despair finally caught up with her and overwhelmed her as she suspected they would do the moment she reached the sanctuary and privacy of her own home and her nearest and dearest. The blonde girl comforted her girlfriend as best she could, offering reassuring words of wisdom and consolation, yet all the while knowing that none of them were going to be make Emily feel any better or stop her from tearing up inside.

They were forced apart eventually by the sound of Katie stirring next to them and they watched helplessly as she groaned, muttered a few incomprehensible words, threatened briefly to wretch but settled instead for coughing disgustingly before grunting and letting out a deafening belch. This remarkably varied and impressive array of sounds and noises deserved a more appreciative audience than just the two girls. Naomi tried hard not to burst out laughing at the end of it all for Emily's sake but the comic value of Katie's unladylike performance was to prove irresistible and she couldn't prevent a series of sniggers from escaping even though she had clamped a hand over her mouth. Emily looked up at her girlfriend who immediately whispered a sincere apology but fortunately for Naomi Emily began to chuckle along with her, albeit still with tears in her eyes as she shook her head in disbelief and frustration.

**PART 3**

Effy sat slumped back in the car, her head still spinning, her heart still pounding. She had been driving around Oxford and the neighbouring suburbs aimlessly for hours in a vain and pointless attempt to find Cook and confront him with the shocking news James had given her earlier in the day. Even now she could scarcely believe it but how else was she supposed to interpret the facts that James had presented to her? Dr Foster murdered, Cook's prints all over the murder weapon and the blood-stained clothes of a mystery third person found buried with the body. Just allowing those three images to filter through her mind almost made Effy throw up in the car and she quickly fumbled for and then stuffed a tissue in her mouth to choke back the vomit.

She grabbed hold of the steering wheel for support and shut her eyes tight, trying to block out the horrific thoughts and images from her mind but without success. It was as if she was locked into wearing blinkers and could only see straight ahead at one object – the smiling face of Freddie with blood running down the side of his face. She let out an anguished scream of protest and denial and started to shake her head violently from side to side, her fists banging on the steering wheel as the tears flowed down her cheeks uncontrollably. When she opened her eyes again she looked straight ahead through the windscreen and let out another scream, this time one of shock and astonishment. For there standing at the side of the road about thirty or forty yards in front of her was the unmistakeable figure of Cook.

She blinked several times and rubbed her eyes to wipe away the tears that she thought might be playing tricks on her and distorting her vision but there was no mistake – it was Cook all right, staring right back at her as he stood motionless at the side of the road. Suddenly she felt as if someone was squeezing at her throat with their enormous hands and was choking the life out of her, She struggled for breath and had to take in several huge, painful gaps of air just to stop herself from passing out. Her shoulders were heaving up and down and the whole of her body was trembling with all manner of emotions – disbelief, bewilderment, shock and, above all, indescribable sorrow. For a few seconds she was incapable of moving at all, her arms and legs seemed to have lost all sense of feeling as she sat in the car transfixed by the motionless figure of Cook staring back at her. She thought she was going to die.

Then all of a sudden she experienced a kind of blessed release, as if a pressure valve had been miraculously opened to breathe new life into her. Her troubled, disturbed and confused mind began to clear and she was filled with a clarity of thought and a sense of purpose that exhilarated her with its chilling intensity. She switched on the ignition, pressed down on the clutch and put the car into gear. She pressed down lightly on the accelerator and heard the car rev up but it was as if the sounds were a million miles away, so hard was she concentrating on the still motionless figure of Cook ahead. Gently she eased up on the clutch and pressed down hard on the accelerator, feeling the car jerk forward as she gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her fingers turned white. She didn't even bother to check in her mirrors to see if any other traffic was coming. All her normal starting precautions and manoeuvres flew right out of the window, so single-minded was she of just the one act she was determined to carry out.

The car leapt forward jerkily with a screech as Effy slammed down on the accelerator to create the maximum amount of forward momentum , steering across the road at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the right over towards where Cook was still patiently standing, seemingly waiting quite calmly for Effy to do what he knew she had to do. Even as she drove straight towards him, he appeared to make no attempt to run for cover or prepare himself to dive out of the path of the onrushing car. As she drew ever nearer to him, her eyes still fixed on his face, she let out a high-pitched scream of 'You bastard!' which he wouldn't have been able to hear but could certainly have made an educated guess at.

**PART 4**

James Hathaway was sitting in his kitchen, perched on a stool at his breakfast table, strumming away on his acoustic guitar and guzzling from a can of lager every so often. He hadn't practiced on his guitar for what seemed like ages, it occurred to him and he couldn't quite pin down exactly what had prompted him to pick up his guitar half an hour ago after he'd finished eating. He had an uncomfortable nagging suspicion that he hadn't touched it ever since Effy had crashed into his life on a tidal wave of intrigue, mystery and sexual attraction which had taken him by surprise and swept him off his feet. He wasn't playing any particular tune, just random notes and chords as if he was starting all over again from scratch like a complete novice trying to get to grips with his instrument and feel his way around it.

He took another swig of beer and sighed. He stared across at his mobile that was lying on the table and thought long and hard about picking it up and making a call. '_Come on, James, you idiot!'_ he reprimanded himself sternly out loud, '_Get a bloody grip, will you? You've let her get inside your head and screw up your life, haven't you? You were never this morose and pathetic before you met her. What's with all these soppy ballads that you've been strumming? How fucking rock and roll is that, for Christ's sake?' _

He leant over to pick up the phone and put it in his pocket out of sight and temptation when it rang, giving him a start. Surely it couldn't be Effy, could it? Her power over him couldn't possibly run to knowing the exact moment when he was thinking about her! That would be just too much to deal with. He took the call and was relieved to hear the familiar tones of his boss, DI Lewis but that relief proved to be short-lived.

'I'm sorry to disturb your evening, Hathaway but something's cropped up,' said Lewis in a strange voice that didn't quite sound his normal copper's voice.

'No problem, Sir. I wasn't doing anything much. New developments on the case, is it?'

'I'm… afraid not,' said Lewis hesitantly 'At least I don't think so anyway. You might want to get yourself over to the hospital pretty quick, the A&E Department. Your friend Effy Stonem….'

Hathaway's stomach lurched violently and he felt the palms of his hand instantly become very sweaty and clammy around the phone. He swallowed hard before speaking very calmly but with a feeling of tremendous trepidation. 'What's happened, Sir?'

'Car accident. She's alive but unconscious. No other vehicle involved apparently but….. something's not quite right about it.'

Hathaway let out a sigh of relief at the news that Effy wasn't dead but his heart was beating fast when he told DI Lewis that he was on his way and hung up. Less than two minutes later he was on the road heading for the hospital, his mind so full of anxieties, questions and theories that he didn't even stop to consider the wisdom of driving whilst under the dubious influence of a couple of bottles of weak lager.

**PART 5**

Sat either side of the hospital bed in which Effy was lying quite still, her eyes closed, tubes coming out of her nose, cuts and bruises liberally sprinkled all over her face, looking for all the world like she had come off the worst in the mother of all collisions with the immoveable object, Emily and Naomi looked across at each other in undisguised silent misery as each held onto one of Effy's hands. They had been given the dreadful news not half an hour ago and had been given permission by the doctor on arriving at the hospital to sit with their unconscious friend for no more than ten minutes.

'What the hell was she doing driving around all on her own at that time of night?' asked Naomi in desperation, unable to stand the eerie silence a second longer.

'I've no idea,' replied Emily, wiping yet another tear from her eye. She felt as if she hadn't consistently cried so much on a single day for so many different reasons since her first day at school. 'I haven't seen her all day. I haven't got a clue what she's been doing.'

'Me neither,' said Naomi. 'I assumed she must have made it up with Sgt Hathaway and gone off to be with him.'

'But the paramedics said there wasn't another car involved! So what the fuck happened, Naoms? Effy was a really good driver. She was always careful, even though she loved driving fast. She's never had an accident in her life. She was always teasing Katie about how clean her driving record was compared to hers.'

Naomi shook her head miserably in bewilderment. She couldn't understand it either. Something must have caused Effy to crash her car into a tree at the side of the road and if it wasn't because of another vehicle, she wasn't sure she wanted to think about the other obvious possibilities - drink, drugs, carelessness. Maybe she was so tired and exhausted that she had involuntarily closed her eyes for just a few fatal seconds, not long admittedly but sadly just long enough to lose complete control of the car as it shot across the road and slammed into a tree.

The pair of them continued to sit in silence for another couple of minutes, each of them willing Effy to open her eyes and wake up, to stir even a fraction, to attempt to make the slightest sound, anything to indicate she had regained consciousness and was back with them again. They couldn't bear to see her in the terrifying state she was, seemingly dead to the world, a pale, unrecognisable shadow of the real Effy who had been in such good form since she had arrived in Oxford, so full of life and hope that she had fully recovered from the troubles of her dim and distant past.

The calm helplessness of their silent vigil was all of a sudden disturbed by the sound of the door opening and both girls turned their heads to see who was entering the room. To their astonishment and disbelief a man walked into the room whose face was largely masked by a hood which was pulled up tight against his face, presumably to cover as many of his features as possible but it was to prove a wholly inadequate disguise for the girls as they recognised the intruder immediately.

'Cook!' they both cried simultaneously and rose from their chairs in an automatic reaction to the surprise arrival of their old friend whom they hadn't seen since his equally unexpected appearance at Naomi's birthday party.

Cook took a few hesitant steps forward to the end of the bed where he remained standing, looking across at Effy with a terrible expression in his eyes which seemed to Emily like a kind of wild confusion which was slowly draining all the colour out of what they could see of his face. 'How is she?' he asked in a flat, emotionless voice.

'Alive but still unconscious,' Naomi said, returning her gaze back to Effy whose hand she squeezed a little in the vain hope that the arrival of Cook and the sound of his voice might breathe new life into Effy and precipitate a dramatic reawakening.

'How did you hear about it?' asked Emily casually as she too followed Naomi's example and gently pressed Effy's other hand a little more purposefully. 'Who called you?'

'No-one,' replied Cook, still not taking his eyes off Effy as he answered Emily's question with the tersest of replies.

'But….if nobody called you, then how the fuck did you know Effy had been in a car accident? Naomi turned a baffled and confused expression on Cook who finally turned his face away from Effy and fixed Naomi a prolonged, painful, guilt-ridden stare. He was about to attempt to speak, his mouth had opened slightly to allow the words of explanation to come out when the door opened a second time and in came Sgt James Hathaway. He nodded across at the two girls, shut the door quietly behind him and advanced slowly and deliberately into the centre of the room where he came to a halt alongside Cook, whom he didn't even bother to glance at, and fixed his gaze firmly on the distressingly battered, motionless figure of Effy lying unconscious in front of him.


	27. Chapter 27

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORD**

I must make my apologies once again for the long delay in updating this story. Sadly normal life has a nasty habit of getting in the way of what I really want to do which is continue with my writing. Every time I think that problems and deadlines are finally behind me leaving me free to concentrate on my fanfic, another issue rears its ugly head and puts a spanner in the works. Hopefully I will now be able to have a free run and generate some real impetus to this story before it's too late and it dies on its arse!

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily receives news of Katie's drunken scene at the AA meeting just as her boss Susie is about to come on to her in the wine bar. Naomi is forced to witness Emily's misery and frustration when a barely conscious Katie is brought home and crashes out on the sofa. Driving around Oxford aimlessly, out of her mind with confusion, bewilderment and despair, Effy sees a vision of Cook at the side of the road and drives straight towards him, crashing the car in the process. Naomi and Emily rush over to the hospital to be with an unconscious Effy as soon as they get word of the accident where they are joined first by a hooded James Cook and then by Sgt Hathaway whom Inspector Lewis has given the news about Effy's crash.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

**PART 1**

Cook carefully and silently removed the chair from under the laundry room door handle where he had wedged it a short while ago, slowly turned the handle and peeped through the tiny crack of light out into the corridor. Somewhat to his disappointment he could see that it wasn't empty but at least there were only a few nurses in his line of vision. Mercifully there wasn't a copper in sight and more pertinently there was reassuringly no sign of Detective Sgt Hathaway from whose persistent clutches he had spent the last frenetic ten minutes trying to escape. Cook was a real pro, an experienced campaigner in the tricky business of shaking off the law in hot pursuit but even he had to admit with a grudging respect that Hathaway had proved to be one of his most formidable opponents in recent times.

Cook had always relied heavily on his speed, fitness, athleticism and resourcefulness of mind as his principal weapons against the regular attempts by the forces of law and order to apprehend him and bring him to justice. So far those qualities had always proved more than sufficient to keep him out of reach but this latest escapade had proved to be a close shave, Hathaway had shown himself to be a dogged and resilient opponent who had hung on grimly to Cook's shirt tails with a quiet determination that drew Cook's admiration and respect even as the two of them flew around the hospital in a deadly serious game of cat and mouse. Cook had left quite a trail of destruction behind him as he sought to put enough distance between him and Hathaway. Trolleys, beds, all manner of catering and medical equipment, even a commode on wheels, anything in fact Cook could lay his hands on as he fled along corridors and up and down staircases had been seized and wantonly scattered in the sergeant's path in an attempt to slow him up or better still bring him crashing down.

Not that Hathaway's desperate pursuit of Cook had gone unnoticed, of course. Their chase had taken them past dozens of patients, visitors and hospital workers, some of whom had been momentarily tempted to intervene at one stage or another. However most of these brave yet foolhardy souls had been quickly and easily put off by the terrifying sight and sound of Cook screaming at them 'Get out of the fucking way, arsehole!' his face contorted with concentration and his eyes blazing with anger and genuine menace. Most of the startled onlookers recognised immediately that this was clearly not a man to be trifled with or approached lightly, especially with an equally determined policeman in close pursuit, and wisely hung well back and gave the two men a very wide berth.

Eventually Cook had succeeded in putting enough distance between him and Hathaway to be out of sight just long enough to try one of the doors in the corridor and, finding it unlocked, dive inside the room and quickly close it behind him. Thus it was that he found himself shacked up for the past five minutes in a laundry room, the contents of which had given him an idea for his plan of escape from the hospital. He had taken off his hoodie and bundled it into a rucksack which he had found lying around the room before proceeding to put on the central plank of his brilliant disguise which he had chosen from the wide selection of items available to him.

Cook looked down and surveyed the result of his unusual fashion choice and nodded his approval. It might just work, he thought. In an ideal world it could do with one or two accessories but beggars can't be choosers and he would have to make do with the meagre offerings readily accessible to him. What he needed most to pull off this daring disappearing act without attracting the attention of the many police officers that Sgt Hathaway must by now have pulled in to assist him in his manhunt was an enormous amount of self-confidence, courage and fearlessness. Fortunately Cook possessed all those qualities by the bucket load so he knew he already had a half decent chance of pulling it off. He simply needed to project the image of calm and easy assurance of a man who had a perfect right to be walking around the hospital and did not expect to be challenged or questioned in any way.

He took a final peek outside the door and, noting that the coast was relatively clear at that moment, judged that the time had come to stick his head over the parapet. He strode confidently out of the room, closing the door behind him and began walking briskly down the corridor, his eyes moving furtively from side to side as he tried to take in as much of his environment as he could, ready to take advantage of any opportunity that might present itself which could facilitate his safe exit from the hospital. Fortune tends to favour the brave and Cook was a firm believer in the principle of making one's own luck.

It was not surprising therefore that when he had almost reached the end of the corridor he should spot through an open door into the last room an item that would be the perfect complement to his impromptu yet still incomplete disguise – indeed it would cap it off nicely. He checked surreptitiously that no-one was paying him much attention and in a matter of seconds had entered the room, removed the stethoscope that was hanging up on a hook and expertly attached it around his neck before rejoining the corridor and heading for the staircase. A quiet grin of satisfaction broke out over his face as he went down the stairs, boldly making eye contact with every nurse, doctor or consultant coming up whom he passed on his way down towards the ground floor. Cook had always snorted in derision whenever it had been suggested to him by the teachers at school that 'clothes maketh the man' but now he had to admit that there might be some merit to the old saying. With his long, white coat and his stethoscope confidently hanging off his neck he felt every inch a real doctor. All that remained was to ensure that he didn't draw any unnecessary attention to himself from the police when he headed for the hospital exit.

**PART 2**

Emily reluctantly let go of Effy's hand that she had been clinging on to and got up from her chair, letting out a huge yawn as she did so. 'I'm going to go back to the house and check up on Katie. Will you stay here for a bit?' she asked looking over at a silent and worried-looking Naomi who nodded in reply. 'I'll stay until they kick me out, at least.'

'You'll let me know if she wakes up, won't you?'

'Of course I will. But…I can't see that happening for a while. She looks completely out of it,' said the blonde, biting her lip in an effort to hold back the flow of tears which seemed to be bubbling just under the surface.

'She's as tough as nails, our Ef, you know that, Naoms,' said Emily trying to stay positive even though she felt as torn up as her girlfriend. 'If anyone can get through this, she can.' Naomi smiled weakly across at Emily and nodded somewhat unconvincingly through tightly pursed lips. 'Yeah, you're right. She'll pull through…..when she's ready. She probably just wants some peace and quiet and a bloody good long sleep.'

Emily went over to Naomi, gave her a big hug and the two girls clung on to each other for some time, each trying to draw some extra strength from the other while exchanging whispered reassurances that everything was bound to be okay soon. 'Do you think the police have caught Cook by now?' Emily wondered aloud as the recent images flashed through her mind of Cook making his muffled excuses and abruptly taking his leave of them followed swiftly by Sgt Hathaway who had taken only a few seconds to guess at the identity of the mysteriously hooded third visitor at Effy's bedside.

'God knows,' said Naomi, shaking her head. 'I'm sure Cook's been leading Sgt Hathaway a merry old dance all over the hospital. I wouldn't be surprised if Hathaway's still chasing him up and down some corridor as we speak.'

'What did Cook mean when he said no-one had called him to tell him about Effy? How else could he have found out?'

'I don't know, Em. The only way that makes sense would be if he had been with her at the time of the accident.'

'But he wasn't hurt or injured. He didn't have a scratch on him, Naoms. If they had both been in her car, there's no way he could have escaped completely unhurt while she…' Emily's voice began to break up as she looked back across at Effy who was still lying motionless and seemingly as far away from rude health as it was possible to be. 'While she ends up like that,' Emily finished off, swallowing hard as the sight of the unconscious, almost lifeless Effy finally became too much to bear. The redhead summoned up an effort of willpower to tear herself reluctantly away from Naomi's comforting arms and head for the door.

'Maybe Cook _will_ end up in a hospital bed after all if Sgt Hathaway catches up with him,' suggested Naomi as she relinquished her hold on Emily who gave a snort of derision as she left the room.

'Oh yeah, sure. Come on, Naoms, get real. Cook always manages to leave a trail of misery and destruction behind him wherever he goes without ever getting hurt himself. The guy's been virtually bullet proof all his life- unlike poor Effy.'

**PART 3**

As Cook made his untroubled way towards the reception area of the hospital he had been amazed not to come across any uniformed coppers during his descent down to the ground floor of the building. But as he slowly edged towards the reception he caught his first glimpse of a police presence when he spied two constables standing inside the main entrance doorway, both kitted out in all the usual heavy artillery of the modern PC Plod. He hung back a little, just enough not to be easily picked out by the coppers but not too far away to prevent his keen eyes from carrying out a rapid sweep of the wide area of the reception and determine how many other police reinforcements there were.

He could see a further two coppers gathered at the other end of the reception which offered nothing like the easy escape of the wide main exit but rather led to different parts of the hospital. If he was to walk out undetected he would have to blag his way through the main doors and past the two heavily armed constables without attracting a whiff of suspicion. He had on the requisite medical accoutrements he had snaffled a little while earlier which he knew were likely to afford him a certain degree of authenticity and conviction but he could do with not having to rely on them alone. He needed to exit the hospital under the noses of the coppers as one of a similar-looking crowd of doctors under whose camouflaged umbrella he could hide and be swallowed up in a small, insignificant mass of combined medical humanity.

There appeared to be no sign of Sgt Hathaway for which he was grateful. He felt sure the sergeant would recognise him immediately and not be hoodwinked by his clever doctor's disguise but he knew equally well he couldn't delay his break for freedom much longer in case the tiresome detective should show up. He was on the point of committing himself to making a brazen solo march towards the entrance and trust to luck and fate when he heard voices behind him and turned to see three doctors, two male and one female, each with their tell-tale stethoscopes dangling loosely from their necks, advance towards him, seemingly heading for the reception area. This was the opportunity he had been praying for, his one big chance to make good his escape under safe cover and he took it eagerly and skilfully.

'What's with all the heavy police presence, guys?' he said conspiratorially, moving over towards the small group of medics whom he greeted with a cheery grin. 'Have any of you accidentally killed off one of your patients or has Harold Shipman joined the staff?'

The three doctors each gave Cook a nervous laugh before one of the men replied. 'I've heard a rumour some dangerous criminal wanted by the police showed up here a short while ago. The police seem to think he might still be in here. They've asked everyone to leave the building quietly and calmly.'

'Shit! Are you serious?' said Cook, feigning alarm and making a big show of looking behind him as if he half expected to be pounced on by an indiscriminate mass murderer. 'Well, in that case if it's alright with you lot I think I'll stick close to you until we're well clear of the building. I don't much fancy being bumped off by some homicidal maniac, even if the place is full of cops.'

'Sure, no problem,' said the female doctor who had noted the mischievous twinkle in Cook's eyes as he spoke and realised that he wasn't really scared stiff but was having a laugh with them. She returned Cook's disarming smile and wondered how come she hadn't noticed him around the place before. Doctors with rugged, chiselled good looks and a sense of humour were pretty thin on the ground in her experience and she was quite surprised he hadn't caught her attention already even in such a large hospital. 'Don't worry, we'll look after you,' she said with a shy grin and Cook took his cue to slip an arm casually around the woman's slim waist and cement his position of familiarity within the group as they moved into the open area of the reception and exposed themselves to the watchful eyes of the uniformed police.

'If this dangerous nutter should get to me first, will you promise to use mouth to mouth resuscitation on me, sweetheart?' Cook was relying on his tried and tested virtues of old fashioned charm and brazen cheek to project an air of natural camaraderie amongst equals as the four of them headed straight for the main entrance. Cook made sure he avoided even the swiftest of glances at the coppers. He kept his eyes firmly fixed on his female companion who had blushed slightly at his flirtatious, tongue-in-cheek suggestion of a life-saving snog with her and he winked at her with a grin. This caused her to redden and giggle some more and brought huge guffaws of laughter from her two male colleagues followed by some gentle teasing that she had well and truly pulled.

Thus it was that under such a blanket of convincing and well conceived cover Cook managed to pass unchallenged through the hospital entrance and past the police presence specifically detailed to spot him and stop him from getting out. He knew there was still a good chance there would be more coppers in the hospital grounds but at least now he was out in the open where there would be places to run to. In any case he still had his new found medical friends to exploit a little longer if need be. The female doctor, in particular, seemed like she might be putty in his hands, an absolute pussycat and Cook wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. A shag was a shag, whatever the situation he was in. Besides, the cops would be on the lookout for one guy on his own answering to his description, not two or more doctors together, one of whom was a young woman. It would definitely pay to make up a plausible excuse to stay close and very personal with her.

**PART 4**

The slim, fair haired young woman stared down at her phone again, her right thumb still poised hesitantly over the phone number which she had been on the point of dialling before she had been gripped by uncertainty and indecision. She desperately wanted to make the call and get the answers she needed but another part of her was terrified of being told the horrible truth of what she suspected had happened. She screwed her eyes tight shut and took several deep breaths to try to compose herself before finally deciding to take the plunge and make the call. She had come to the conclusion that not knowing for sure was a worse feeling than actually knowing.

Her heart was thumping like the clappers as she waited for the call to be answered which it was eventually after a few too many rings for her already shattered nerves.

'Hello?' said a voice in a low tone which had more than a hint of surprise in it. 'Jenny? Is that you?'

'Yes,' said the young woman nervously. There was a long pause during which Jenny wondered if the person on the other end of the line had hung up before the awkward silence was broken.

'What do you want? I thought we agreed you wouldn't contact me? It could be dangerous.'

'I'm sorry, really I am but I…I just needed to know.'

'Know what, exactly?'

Jenny shivered a little as she spoke. Her throat was feeling incredibly dry and her voice came out as more of a strange croak than a recognisably human sound. 'That it was you who….. who did that to my father?'

The other voice was quite calm and controlled in comparison with Jenny's frightened, hesitant tones and the flat, neutral, dispassionate manner of the response seemed quite shocking and unreal to Jenny. 'Of course it was. Who did you think had done it? I promised I would take care of everything for you and I have. Aren't you happy, Jenny? You told me nothing would make you happier than for him to die.'

'I know. I am….. happy. But…'

'But what?' There was a definite touch of irritation, even perhaps righteous indignation in the other person's voice as if it couldn't believe how Jenny could be so ungrateful for what had been done in her name.

'You never said anything about….about cutting his head off!' Jenny's voice rose to an almost hysterical shriek as she nearly choked on her words as if the full horror of her father's savage mutilation had only truly hit her now that she had voiced it out loud.

'He deserved it,' said the other person coolly, the voice devoid of any compassion or regret. 'Come on, Jenny, have you forgotten what he used to do to you? Don't you remember all those times you used to cry your eyes out on my shoulder, wishing he was dead, over and over again?

Jenny sniffed loudly but was unable to stop the tears from trickling down her face as those hideous memories of a deeply hidden past suddenly brought back to life the misery and depression of her youth when she used to wish she were dead on an almost daily basis. 'I know I wanted him to die. I just never imagined that….. that you would do _that _to him.'

'He deserved to die a horrible death. He was an _inhuman monster_, Jenny. They all were. They all got what they deserved.'

'So, you _did_ kill them all!'

'Of course I did. Didn't I promise you all I would make sure you got your revenge? None of you had the strength or courage to do it yourselves, did you? So I had to do it for you. That is what we agreed, after all, wasn't it? Don't start having any regrets now, for God's sake. It's way too late for that and besides, I was only carrying out a form of natural justice. Those men should all have been punished for what they did but they got away with it. All I did was put right other people's mistakes. I merely did what those people in authority singularly failed to do.'

There was a further period of heavy silence as Jenny digested the argument coldly and rationally presented to her as justification for the recent spate of brutal killings in Oxford. With the weight of uncertainty and suspicion now lifted from her shoulders, Jenny felt a surprising inner calm and relief now that she knew the truth and accepted the reasons for the murders of her father and the other men.

'What now, then?' she asked with genuine curiosity 'Are you going to go away from here and, well, disappear somewhere?'

'Not yet,' came back the reply. 'I've still got one final act to carry out. There's still one more monster that has to be dealt with.'

'Oh my God! You're going to kill again?' Jenny could not hide her anguish and disbelief and if her strident, plaintive tones were intended as a desperate plea to her interlocutor not to go ahead then it was all to no avail as the response was one of resolute determination and icy cool detachment.

'I have to, Jenny. You and the others may have had your revenge but I haven't. My score is yet to be settled and I shall not rest until it is. I have no other ambitions to fulfil in my life. This is the only thing that's keeping me going, the only reason to carry on.'

'But what if you get caught? You've got away with all of them so far. Why take such a huge risk carrying on? Why not get out while you can? You're mad to even think of staying here any longer.'

'I don't care if I do get caught. Why should that bother me? If I am found out then so be it. It will all have been worthwhile. The deaths of those four revolting men will be enough to make my life complete.'

'You can't possibly mean that! Please don't,…'

But before Jenny could implore one last time by name the person on the other end of the line she was interrupted by a peremptory dismissal which was intended to put an end to the discussion once and for all.

'No more please, Jenny. My mind is quite made up. There's nothing more you can say to stop me. I will have my revenge as well. Now be a good girl and don't call me again. Enjoy the rest of your life now that you're free at last and allow me to enjoy the rest of mine.'

The conversation was ended abruptly by the sound of the phone cutting out, leaving a greatly disturbed Jenny to stare blankly off into space, feeling as much misery and despair as she had a few minutes earlier when she had deliberated so long and hard as to whether to make the call or not.


	28. Chapter 28

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Cook succeeds in evading the hot pursuit of Sgt Hathaway and finds a hiding place in the hospital while he formulates a proper escape plan. An anxious Emily and Naomi sit at Effy's bedside, praying that she will regain consciousness and tell them what role Cook played in her accident. Dressed in an impromptu doctor's outfit, Cook hooks up with a group of doctors under whose cover he manages to walk out of the hospital past the police constables lying in wait for him at the exit. A telephone conversation suggests that the serial killer has plans to carry out one further brutal murder in the very near future as a final act of revenge.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

**PART 1**

When Emily woke up the next morning she felt like shit. In fact she felt pretty close to death warmed up. Her head was heavy, her mouth was as dry as parchment and her eyes were bleary and sore from lack of sleep. She looked across at a quietly sleeping Naomi and wondered if her girlfriend would feel any better than her when she eventually chose to wake up. She, after all, had enjoyed the advantage of not having been plied with drink by her boss in a trendy wine bar the night before as a prelude to being jumped on by the selfsame boss. Naomi had also been spared the exhausting and unenviable task of half dragging, half carrying a paralytic twin sister all the way back home. They had of course both suffered a massive shock to the system with the news of Effy's accident but Emily had found sleep especially hard to come by as her frazzled mind had been besieged with images of that evening both disturbing and embarrassing in more or less equal measures.

As she sat up and took a much needed gulp of water from the glass on her bedside table the first image that flashed through Emily's mind was one of Effy lying all alone in a hospital bed. She wondered if the brunette had regained consciousness yet. She was anxious to get over there and find out the latest news as soon as she could. She closed her eyes momentarily and, despite not being the least bit religious, offered up a silent prayer to whoever might have been listening and who could have an influence in such matters to make poor Effy wake up and, more than just that, please, please, please make her be okay!

The sound of a loud thud followed by an anguished scream from downstairs interrupted Emily's silent prayers and she deduced that these distant noises signalled a return to consciousness, if not exactly a full recovery of her wits and senses, of her alcoholic sister from her latest bender. At a rough guess Emily would have said that her twin had probably fallen off the living room sofa onto the floor, a scenario that ordinarily would have set her off into fits of giggles, especially if prompted by Naomi's all too likely hysterical laughter. But on this occasion, with her girlfriend oblivious to the commotion below, all Emily could muster up were feelings of resentment and irritation that she would now have to deal with Katie's problems, Katie's shit, Katie's self-loathing and self-pity at a time when their lives had been dealt the possibility of real tragedy which could put all their own petty issues into savage perspective.

As Emily hung on to that sobering thought for a while Naomi let out a sudden grunt and stirred a little, causing Emily to look down and across at her partner. The sight of Naomi's bleached blonde hair, her perfectly smooth complexion and the whiteness of her exposed neck first thing in the morning would normally send a shiver of tingling excitement running up Emily's spine and make her heart almost burst with desire and anticipation of some early morning sex. But this morning the sight of the love of her life made Emily turn bright pink with shame and embarrassment as she instantly recalled the kiss she so nearly exchanged with Susie Peters in the wine bar a little less than twelve hours earlier. 'How the fuck did I get myself into that?' she whispered to herself, turning her head away from Naomi, unable even to gaze secretly at the blonde without being overcome with shame at such a painfully fresh and disturbing memory. 'I can't believe I got so pissed I didn't know what I was doing. I'm not Katie, for fuck's sake! So what the bloody hell went wrong? What the hell was I thinking of?'

The redhead shook her head from side to side in disgust and immediately regretted her actions as she winced with the throbbing that accompanied her ill-advised shake of the head. She decided she badly needed a couple of cups of strong black coffee and some aspirin to dull the throbbing pain in her head and give her the energy to face what was likely to be a difficult day ahead. She slipped out of bed with the minimum of fuss, grabbed her dressing gown and left Naomi to her beauty sleep – not that she needed any, thought the redhead with a smile as she gently closed the door behind her.

**PART 2**

At much the same time as Emily was waking up in her own bed next to a familiar and much adored partner with painful memories of an emotionally charged evening fresh in her troubled mind, Cook similarly awoke sharply from a deep sleep, sat up and looked around an unfamiliar room with the deep curiosity and amused interest of the serial one night stander who never knew where he was going to wake up from one morning to the next. Through blurry eyes which he was forced to screw up against the bright light that was blinding his face he was able to recognise instantly that this was not his bedroom back home, nor was it the attic in Emily and Naomi's house which had been his temporary shelter for the last couple of days since he had decided to disappear from public circulation. No, this was definitely new territory for him but a quick admiring glance down at the shapely and stark naked figure lying next to him was all it took to remind him of where he was. A mischievous broad smile broke out all over his face as he gazed down at the young woman. After racking his brains for a few moments he seemed to recall that the name of his latest conquest was Dawn…. something or other, he couldn't recall the surname. Not that it mattered much to Cook – he had been interested in her firm, athletic young body not her full name and particulars.

He quietly contemplated the sleeping young woman, paying considerable attention to her generously proportioned yet magnificently firm breasts whose rhythmical bobbing up and down produced the inevitable stirring in his ever active loins. Cook was unable to hold back an involuntary snigger as the old joke about the joys of waking up at the crack of dawn suddenly popped into his head and he was forced to cover his mouth hurriedly with one hand to prevent the snigger developing into a loud chuckle. True enough, if Dawn had been woken by his laughter and had demanded to know what he found so bloody hilarious about waking up next to her first thing he might have been tempted to tell her the joke but wisely he decided against it. _Better not, Cookie boy_, he thought. _That might not go down too well. Shame, though, 'cos she certainly did_, and the irony of those connecting thoughts was not lost on him and unsurprisingly brought a lascivious smile to his face and almost made him burst out into fits of laughter.

Instead he contented himself with lighting his first cigarette of the day, lying back in bed with one hand tucked behind his pillow while with the other he dragged deeply on his smoke and cast his mind back to the events of the previous evening which had brought him to his present surroundings and circumstances. It had been surprisingly easy for him to persuade Dawn to take him on as her new best friend and invite him back to her place for a few drinks and a shag. He would have been happy enough just to use her as cover to make good his escape from the hospital and the watchful eyes of Oxford's finest constabulary but when she laid herself out on a plate for him after she had driven the pair of them out of the car park and away from the hospital grounds, well, he was never going to turn that sort of offer down now, was he?

For a guy like him who lived by the seat of his pants on an almost daily basis, who always knew that his last day of freedom could be the next one, not to mention the next fuck being his last, or at least heterosexual one, he thought with more than a slight shudder and grimace, he was never going to pass up any opportunity for unashamed, rampant sex and hedonistic pleasure that fell into his lap. _And boy, did Dawn fall in his lap or what_! Cook chuckled inwardly as he recalled with a quiet and easy pride delivering yet another impressive performance which had left Dawn fully serviced and yet begging for more. _Let's just say I presented her with my credentials and she found them to be more than satisfactory!_ Once more a wicked grin lit up his face like a dirty old man who spies a nubile young girl in a short skirt and with legs up to her chin and can't stop his eyes from feasting on her and thinking of what he would do to her if only he still had the right equipment and looked more like George Clooney rather than George Bush.

Cook was abruptly dragged out of his silent and pervy contemplations by the sound of Dawn stirring next to him and as she opened her eyes and turned her head towards him he beamed down at her with a cheery grin and welcomed her back to the land of the living in typical style. 'Morning, babe! Did you sleep well? I bet you did. You were totally shagged out after I'd finished giving you such a good seeing to.'

Dawn's mouth shot open in astonishment. She clearly wasn't used to such a sexually graphic and brutally honest greeting first thing in the morning after what was for her a rare one night stand with a complete stranger but Cook's mischievous grin, his smiling, twinkling eyes and above all his barefaced, not to mention bare-arsed cheek made her laugh despite her initial reaction of shock and embarrassment.

'Yes, thanks, I did as it happens,' she said, pulling up the duvet a little to cover herself a bit more as she sensed Cook's eyes lingering admiringly on her half exposed ample chest which suddenly made her feel very self-conscious. 'Why do I get the feeling you've done this sort of thing many times before?'

'I'm a man of the world, Dawn. I've been there, seen it, done it…..'

'Screwed it?' Dawn finished Cook's sentence for him with a knowing look and a slightly anxious heart as she started wondering just what sort of an animal, and not just a sexual animal, she had so willingly and yet perhaps rather unwisely invited into her flat and her bed the previous night.

'I didn't say that, babe, you did. You're putting words into my mouth. I much preferred it when you were putting your…..'

'Yes! Thank you! I suppose I ought to be grateful you even remembered my name.' Dawn didn't know whether to laugh or to throw up at Cook's crude line in humour and small talk. There was something roguishly endearing about him despite all the frequent blatant references to sex and his own undoubted expertise in that department.

'I always remember the names of all the hot babes I've bedded, sweetheart. Besides, yours was an easy one to remember waking up to.'

Dawn couldn't help blushing shyly and furiously at the huge compliment Cook had paid her despite him having confirmed her suspicions that here was a serious serial shagger lying next to her in her bed and she felt compelled to turn away quickly for a while to hide from him her reddening cheeks and to give herself some breathing space to recover her composure. This guy really knew how to touch all the right spots in more ways than one, she thought.

'Why easy?' she asked as she tried to reach down casually for the T-shirt she had obviously discarded during the night and which had fallen on to the floor during their energetic lovemaking.

'Because it made me think of…' but Cook couldn't go through with it. He sensed that Dawn was slightly unsure of him, despite the fact that she clearly wasn't particularly embarrassed at having woken up next to a complete stranger, no matter how well endowed he had been and was in danger of becoming again, and he had no wish to add to her uncertainty by making fun of her name, especially after she had been so impressed that he had remembered it.

'What?' Dawn said, spinning round and staring hard at Cook who was looking at her thoughtfully while he took the last drag on his cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray.

'Oh, you know, waking up very early in the morning with a beautiful girl – waking up at dawn. It's a nice and easy connection for a simple soul such as myself to remember, babe.'

Dawn smiled sweetly at Cook and instantly regretted her previous doubts and uncertainties. Sure he could be a bit basic and crude, she supposed, but then weren't all men sometimes? Besides, he seemed to have a really kind nature at heart and was certainly not slow at dishing out the compliments. He hadn't woken up and immediately fucked off without a word like many would have done. And he had remembered her name and had done so in a really sweet way. That counted for a lot with her. 'I'm going to jump into the shower,' she said shyly. 'Do you want to make us a cup of tea while I'm in there?'

'Sure thing, babe. You leave breakfast to me. You go and work up a real lather in the shower and I'll come over and scrub your back with whatever I can lay my hands on,' replied Cook flashing Dawn another one of his huge smiles accompanied by an outrageous wink. He patted his erect cock which was rising up beneath the duvet causing Dawn to promptly collapse into hysterics as she staggered out of the room.

**PART 3**

Naomi was not a happy bunny that morning. Normally a free morning without any college tutorials would mean for her a rare lie-in or, even better, some fantastic sex with Emily and a chance to make real progress with her thesis in the peace and quiet of an empty house after Emily's departure. Not so that morning, however. Not only had Emily left for work earlier than normal, citing a need to get to grips with her new story bright and early, without any meaningful exchange of bodily fluids taking place between the pair of them but she had begged Naomi to do her a big favour and take care of Katie for as long as she could. Naomi had tried to protest but to no avail, especially when Emily looked at her with those big, sad eyes and those full, trembling lips like someone who was on the point of bursting into tears at any moment. That old trick never seemed to fail. Emily knew how to play her heart-strings better than anyone in the whole world.

'I'm not a fucking babysitter, Em! Why don't you just lock her in the room if you're so worried about what she might do?'

'She's my sister, Naoms! I can't do that to her! She doesn't need locking up, she needs help. She needs _our _help.'

'She needs _your_ help, babes, not mine. She won't take a blind bit of notice of anything I say to her. The only chance I've got of getting a smile or even a word of thanks out of her is if I poured a bottle of gin over her cornflakes.'

'We haven't got any gin,' Emily reminded Naomi with a feeble attempt at a grin but which was more akin to a painful grimace at the sad truth of Naomi's observation.

'That's right. In fact we haven't got any booze at all in the house – not since it's been turned into the meeting place for the local Temperance Society!' Naomi sighed heavily and looked up to the heavens as if seeking divine inspiration but she knew that Emily was always going to win this battle of wills.

'PLEASE, Naoms, please stay with her and look after her until you have to go to college. I'm not asking you to stay with her all day, that wouldn't be fair but at least help her to sober up. Give her loads of strong black coffee and for fuck's sake make sure she eats something. I'll try and get back some time in the afternoon. I'll just have to pray she's still here and hasn't pissed off out somewhere.'

'Maybe we could get all the pubs and clubs and off-licences to bar her,' suggested Naomi only half jokingly but immediately stopped this somewhat frivolous line of enquiry upon seeing Emily's face threaten to twitch and collapse into tears again. She pulled Emily over towards her and gave her a huge comforting hug while she promised she would stay in and keep a watchful eye on Katie - which was what she was doing at this precise moment, albeit with considerable sufferance and no little bad grace.

'How do you feel?' she asked without an obvious amount of genuine interest as she contemplated a very pale looking Katie who was sitting on the sofa opposite and forcing down with mildly trembling hands a cup of hot, strong coffee which Naomi had offered her a short while ago.

'Like total shit. I feel like I've just been hit by a bus, kicked in the stomach and punched by a kangaroo with boxing gloves on.'

'Ah, yes, that would probably be the booze, then' said Naomi nodding wisely across at Katie who looked up at the blonde to see if she was taking the piss but Naomi's facial expression was deliberately impassive, with not a raised eyebrow, a tug at the lips or a shake of the head providing the necessary evidence to give Katie an excuse to launch into a torrent of abuse.

'You need to drink lots of strong coffee and have something to eat, Katie, if you don't want to feel this bad for the rest of the day.'

'I m not hungry,' said Katie, letting out an involuntary belch while one hand clutched at her stomach which she could feel churning and grumbling embarrassingly loudly.

'Maybe not but you should still eat something. Ems asked me to look after you so that's what I'm going to do – whether you like it or not.'

'You don't want to be here, do you?' Katie stared Naomi right in the eyes and waited in silence while Naomi considered how to respond. In the end she decided honesty was the best policy, not that she cared all that much at that particular moment what Katie thought of her.

'Not really but….. I love Emily and if she wants me to stay with you and help you get better, then that's what I'm prepared to do.'

'You know, you don't know how lucky you are, Naomi. I wish _I_ had someone who would do anything for me, no matter how much it pissed them off deep down.'

Naomi glanced across at a miserable, vulnerable looking Katie and felt desperately sorry for her for a few brief seconds but the feeling soon passed and was replaced by a rather more brutal yet ultimately more honest assessment of the ailing girl's sorry predicament. 'Well, maybe if you didn't drink so much and get wrecked out of your skull most of the time, you might have half a chance of finding someone like that.'

The blonde didn't wait to see Katie's reaction but got up from the sofa and made for the door, leaving a stunned Katie alone with her self-pity and hangover to consider the wisdom or otherwise of Naomi's words in splendid isolation.

**PART 4**

'Come on, Cook!' cried Dawn as she put the finishing touches to her make-up while Cook nonchalantly lay back in bed enjoying the view and smoking another fag. 'You can't lie there all day. We've got work to get to!'

Cook grinned over at the bemused yet slightly anxious young doctor and decided now was the time to try to push his luck just that little bit further. 'Not me darling, I've got a few days off.'

'Oh, it's all right for some then, isn't it? You just take it easy then, don't mind me, will you?'

Cook sniggered and reached out a hand to beckon Dawn over towards him, a hand which she accepted with the briefest of token gestures of reluctance and impatience. 'Look, I'm going to be late,' she said but Cook cut short any further protests by pulling her towards him, sticking his tongue down her throat and sliding his hands expertly up her blouse to begin fondling her boobs inside her bra, causing her to wriggle and squeal helplessly as she tried in vain to escape his clutches.

'Cook! That's enough, you sex-mad maniac!' Dawn gasped as she extricated her tonsils from Cook's greedy mouth and pulled his hands out from under her top. 'What the hell was I thinking of, letting you stay the night? I must have been out of my mind!'

'You loved every second of it, babe, if all that screaming and moaning and groaning was anything to go by.'

'You're making that up, you bastard,' said Dawn, turning bright red for the second time that morning.

Cook roared with laughter and leaned back to take another puff of his cigarette while Dawn turned her head away from him and stared down at the floor, unable to look him in the face whilst she was feeling so embarrassed and yet at the same time so ridiculously horny at this unheard of hour of the morning for her. 'Actually, gorgeous, I was wondering if I could ask a really big favour of you.'

'What?' Dawn still didn't trust herself yet to turn round and look at him in case she went weak at the knees and fell too easily under the spell of his smouldering, laughing eyes and gave in too readily to whatever demand he was about to make of her. Unless of course it was just to ask if they could do it all over gain later that evening.

'Could I stay here for a while? Not long, honest!' Cook saw the sudden look of anxiety and shock in Dawn's eyes as she spun round in disbelief at his unexpected request and hastened to dispel any fears she might be harbouring that he was suggesting he moved in permanently solely on the strength of one night of incredible passion.

'How long?' Dawn asked in a hard voice, narrowing her eyes and fixing him square on in an attempt to make him feel as uncomfortable and nervous as possible which nonetheless seemed to her a futile exercise with someone as confident and self-assured as Cook appeared.

'A couple of days, that's all, I swear. I need to keep a bit of a low profile for a little while, you know what I mean?'

'No. Explain.'

'Well, a couple of guys are looking for me – nothing serious, I just owe them a few quid from a pool game, that's all. It's nothing to worry your pretty little head about, Dawn. It would just be for a day or two, no more. You'd be doing me a great favour. And I'll return the favour.'

'Oh yeah? How?' Dawn was intrigued even though she had already decided to give Cook the benefit of the considerable doubt she had about the truth of his story. She put on her coat and searched around for her bag while she listened to Cook's proposal.

'Well, I'm quite well house-trained, you know. I'll tidy up the place while you're at work. Tell you what; I'll even make dinner for us tonight. How about that for an offer? In fact, if you let me know what time you'll be back, I'll have it ready and waiting for you on the table. And that won't be the only thing that'll be hot, ready and waiting for you tonight either!'

Dawn sniggered despite herself at yet another of Cook's incorrigible sexual innuendos and gave in to his machine gun tactics. 'Go on, then. You'd better take my keys, I suppose. But if I come back tonight and find you've robbed me blind and buggered off, so help me God, I'll hunt you down and cut your balls off. I mean it, Cook.'

'I know you do, Dawn. I would expect nothing less. But I'll be here. I value the old Crown Jewells far too much to take any risks where they're concerned,' Cook lay back in bed and waited patiently for Dawn to shut the front door behind her before he felt confident enough of his success to burst out laughing. '_Charm and cheek, Cookie Boy, charm and cheek. It works every time.' _

**PART 5**

Superintendent Innocent was, like a number of people that morning, not in the best of moods. She had just had her head severely bitten off by her superiors in a monthly meeting and she was hell-bent on looking for blood. More specifically, she was on the hunt for Inspector Lewis and Sergeant Lewis whose heads she fully intended to chew up and then spit out indiscriminately all over the police station. Urgent progress was being demanded on this serial murder case being run by DI Lewis and although she was very fond of Robbie and James Hathaway in a kind of benevolent aunt and two incompatible nephews kind of way, that did not mean she was prepared to stand idly by and just watch while they brought her hitherto brilliant career crashing to a halt. Heads needed to be cracked, if not exactly rolled, and she was determined to do just that right now.

She burst into the incident room where she expected to find them only to be met with an empty room, devoid of any detectives. She swore briefly though violently and stomped back out into the corridor whereupon she began shouting a few names at the top of her voice with the sort of urgency and impatience that would curdle milk and would bring experienced old coppers, never mind grown men, to their knees if they knew what was good for them. Sure enough, within a few seconds, which she had already started counting to herself, DC Bennett emerged from one of the rooms off the corridor, his ashen face and nervously twitching mouth betraying his anxiety and dread at the sound of Innocent on the warpath. His heart was pounding and he began to sweat profusely as he prayed to all the gods he could think of that it wasn't him personally the Super was about to administer a right royal bollocking to.

'Yes, Ma'am?' he said nervously as he approached Innocent, stammering a little as he clenched his buttocks and endeavoured not to shit himself.

'DI Lewis and DS Hathaway. Where are they?' she shouted at Bennett even though he was now standing only a few feet away from a fuming Innocent.

'Um, I'm not sure, Ma'am. They were definitely here earlier, I know that for a fact. I'll go and find out.'

'Yes, I suggest you do that. And if someone doesn't bring their heads to me on a silver platter in the next five minutes there's going to be an unfeasible amount of blood spilled in this station and you, Bennett, are going to have to clear it up!'

DC Bennett nodded and shot off down the corridor like a bat out of hell leaving a frustrated and irritated Superintendent Innocent tapping her feet and pursing her lips as she debated whether to wait calmly until they were brought to her or to go off in search of then herself. DC Bennett wasn't the sharpest tool in the box and she suspected she might be better off trying to track them down herself.

**PART 6**

Fortunately for Lewis and Hathaway, while Superintendent Innocent was busy doing her nut several floors above them they were both with the duty sergeant at the station reception desk, well out of ear's reach, poring over the latest cryptic message from the killer that had been delivered in the usual unremarkable envelope. It was the same pattern as all the previous ones but this cryptic clue which Hathaway had worked out very quickly left an even greater chill in Lewis's heart than any of the others. The other deaths had been brutal and savage, yes, but death had in all cases been mercifully quick even though undeniably agonising. This one promised to be a long, slow, lingering death if Hathaway was right in his guesswork which Lewis didn't doubt for a moment.

'It's got to be, hasn't it? It can't be anything else,' said Lewis with a sigh of despair.

'I think we have to assume so, Sir,' said Hathaway nodding gloomily. They looked at the note one final time but the same word kept screaming back at them yet again from the clue given to them so thoughtfully by the killer.

**I _ T _ _ NM _ _ T**

'Internment,' said Lewis, shaking his head in disbelief. 'Jesus, some poor bastard is going to be buried alive in the ground unless we get to him first. Can you imagine anything more terrifying than that? It's bad enough getting your head cut off or having your heart cut out but at least they were killed before those horrific acts of mutilation were carried out. But being buried alive, well that's altogether on another scale. Our killer must really hate someone so much to want to do that to them.'

'What's the plan, then, Sir? We might not have much time. At least this victim is going to be kept alive for a while. That gives us just an outside of finding them before it's too late, doesn't it?'

Lewis frowned and shook his head at Hathaway's optimism. 'I don't believe this killer wants us to save them from themselves. I don't think he's sending us these clues to give us the chance to get to them in time.'

'Bang goes our theory about there being only three murders, all connected to each other, surely, Sir'

'Come on, Hathaway, let's get back to the incident room. There _has_ to be something that we've missed. Let's have a bloody good look at all our victims and their families again. The answer has to lie there somewhere. We've just not spotted it yet'

-.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

I hope some of you at least are pleased that I have at long last returned to continue and finish off this story after a regrettably long absence due to difficult work and family commitments. I would love to receive any reviews and feedback on this latest chapter and in particular where you think the story might be heading towards. The killings are not quite over yet as you will have gathered and I hope I will still be able to pull off the odd surprise and shock in the remaining chapters that will persuade to stick with the story until the end which will not be that far away now. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this fanfic in spite of all the long delays and its stop/start nature.


	29. Chapter 29

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily wakes up with a hangover and uncomfortable, painful memories of the events of the night before. Meanwhile Cook wakes up in bed next to the attractive young female doctor he used as cover in making his escape from the hospital. He uses his innate charm to persuade her to let him stay at her place a few days while he contemplates his next move. Emily begs a reluctant Naomi to keep an eye on a seriously wiped out Katie until she gets back from work. In the police station Chief Superintendent Innocent is on the warpath looking for Lewis and Hathaway who are studying a new anonymous note from the serial killer announcing the impending event of the next victim who it is planned will be buried alive.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

**PART 1**

Emily looked up from her computer as she suddenly became aware of someone standing close by her side and was far from overjoyed to see Sarah Hawkins looking down at her with what the redhead could have sworn was a poorly concealed smirk on her face. The two hadn't exactly been bosom buddies since Emily started at the paper and Emily's recent coverage of the series of local grisly murders, including the paper's own former chief editor, had only made matters worse between the two of them. Emily was convinced Sarah had become intensely jealous and resentful of Emily's unexpected promotion to chief reporter on this important case which Sarah had probably assumed would be assigned to her due to her far greater experience.

'How's your story on the murders going, Emily?' asked Sarah with a passable impersonation of someone who genuinely gave a shit. 'Do you need any help with it?'

Emily saw straight through Sarah's clumsy and unconvincing attempt at comradely concern and friendship and responded in kind with the kind of sweet smile that was way too excessive to be mistaken as sincere. 'Oh, that is sweet of you, Sarah, but I'm absolutely fine. It's going really well, I think. But thank you so much for offering.'

Sarah made a peculiar noise which Emily thought started off sounding like a snort of derision but which Sarah managed quite skilfully to turn into a spluttering cough which she sought to embellish with an exaggerated rub of her chest.

'That's a nasty sounding cough you've got, Sarah,' said Emily deliberately fixing her gaze on Sarah so as to force her older rival to look at _her_ rather than her computer screen which Emily suspected she was longing to do and presumed to be the reason for Sarah's unexpected appearance at her desk. 'Are you sure you shouldn't be at home in bed rather than at work? I'd be more than happy to cover for you until you get better.'

'I'm perfectly okay, Emily,' said Sarah sharply with an expression on her face that hinted at simmering anger and barely controlled resentment. It was all Emily could do not to burst out laughing at the sight of Sarah having to rein in her fury and keep up the pretence of politeness and cordiality in front of their colleagues. The redhead had to turn her head away and back to the computer to hide the tiniest of self-satisfied smiles from being picked up by Sarah.

'Did you have a nice time last night with Miss Peters?' Emily's ghost of a smile immediately vanished as Sarah Hawkins's question, delivered with an air of casualness which was expertly judged to cause maximum embarrassment and shock, shook the very foundations of her inner core and caused her to be gripped with an inexplicable feeling of horror which seemed to freeze her in time and space for a few moments as she sought to recover her composure.

'What on earth are you on about?' said Emily defensively, desperately playing for time as she frantically sought to consider how best to react to this bombshell of a question.

'Well, it's all around the office today that the boss took you out last night for a cosy little drink, just the two of you,' Sarah replied, staring with quiet glee and increasing anticipation at the redhead who had kept her back firmly turned towards Sarah to conceal any traces of anguish and discomfort that might have become apparent if she had turned round to front up to her tormentor.

'Susie…..Miss Peters asked me to go for a drink with her to discuss work, Sarah,' explained Emily, as she fought back a scream of despair at her schoolgirl error of referring to her boss by her first name in front of Sarah. _How could you have been so fucking stupid_? she reprimanded herself inwardly. She doubted that Sarah would have missed such a faux pas or would choose not to exploit it to embarrass her further still.

'Of course she did, Emily. You know that, I know that, but….. you know what people are like. Tongues will wag. Rumours will fly. It's almost impossible to keep a secret in a place like this.'

'There's no secret to keep, Sarah! Why are you making such a big deal of it?'

Emily had decided she could no longer remain on the defensive and allow Sarah to dictate the tone and direction of the conversation. She was well aware that Sarah was looking to provoke a reaction from her but equally Emily was smart enough to realise that an indifferent attitude of 'no comment' was likely to be just as damaging. Attack was often the best form of defence and Emily was determined that she should try to get a few retaliatory punches in herself so as to even up the contest.

'If you must know, Miss Peters was very impressed by the story I wrote on poor Mr Wells' tragic death. I'd come up with a new angle on the story on all these murders and she invited me to talk it over with her over a few drinks. It was all perfectly harmless and above board, nothing to get excited about'

'Well, yes, you're right, of course. That's pretty routine stuff, it happens all the time in our business, editors and reporters talking shop at the end of the day over a few beers or a glass of wine.'

A relieved Emily nodded and relaxed just a little, sensing that she might have succeeded in digging herself out of a hole but she should have known better than to become complacent in the presence of a wily old campaigner like Sarah Hawkins.

'Or…. at least it would be if it wasn't for the fact that I know the boss secretly fancies the arse off you and is desperate to get into your knickers. I mean, come on! Why else would she have given _you_ that job?'

All the blood suddenly felt like it was draining out of Emily's face as she stared dumbstruck at a smugly grinning Sarah in complete horror. She opened her mouth to protest, she tried to formulate some words of righteous indignation, some justifiable expression of disgust and distaste at such a mean-spirited, groundless accusation but no words could come out, so gobsmacked was she with Sarah's shocking remarks. All she could think of were the images of Susie from the previous night, of her strikingly beautiful boss pressing her curvaceous body right up against hers whenever she could, smiling at her continually with her big, wide, seductive eyes and leaning in towards her face with her moist, full lips. Sarah stared at Emily intently, observing the young woman's all too obvious silent anguish and discomfort with a triumphant smile on her face which she made no effort to conceal, indeed which she strove to accentuate with a cruel little snigger which struck at Emily's rapidly disappearing self –respect like a dagger to her heart.

Emily couldn't bear to be in the presence of this nasty, vindictive, spiteful woman a second longer. She needed to get away fast, to be alone with her thoughts and feelings. Summoning up as much dignity and composure as she could muster in the circumstances, she calmly got up out of her chair, picked up her mug and gave Sarah the best passing shot her frazzled mind could think of as she turned on her heels and headed for the corridor which led to the kitchen and the toilets.

'I take it from the tone of resentment in your voice that she's never shown the slightest interest in you, Sarah. You know it's quite true what they say. There's no one quite as sad and pathetic as a bitter, jealous, old has-been.'

Emily forced herself not to look back even though she would have loved to have seen the expression on Sarah's face which was a picture of blind fury, pink embarrassment and silent shame.

**PART 2**

'You're not going out, are you?' Katie looked and sounded unusually alarmed as Naomi stood in the hall putting her coat on.

'I've got a tutorial to go to, Katie. Much as I'd love to, I can't stay here all day hanging out with you and swapping girly gossip. I've got a thesis to finish – unless of course you think you can help me with it better than my professor.'

Naomi had reached the limits of her patience, kindness and generosity as far as Katie and her self-inflicted problems were concerned. She had done all that her beloved Emily had begged of her that day, and much more but now she had to leave the poor old soak to her own devices to see if she could stand on her own two feet – although just standing up at all without falling over had been a major job in itself earlier on in the day when she was still feeling hung over and light-headed.

'Please, Naomi, don't leave me here on my own. Please!' Katie turned her head away from her blonde babysitter while she pleaded for company, as if it was bad enough that she should have to say the words out loud without Naomi actually seeing the pain and embarrassment etched all over her face as she did so. 'I….I really don't want to be alone …..not today, please!'

Naomi was shocked to hear Katie sound so desperate and even her heart, which could often be icy cold and unfeeling where her girlfriend's twin was concerned, began to thaw just a little. Clearly Katie had to be feeling at her wits end, at a real low point in her life for her to be pleading so abjectly with her long-time rival for Emily's love and affection. Perhaps, just this once, she ought to cut her some slack. Maybe she could put up with Katie's self-pitying misery and dejection just a little bit longer, especially if that made Emily love her even more!

'Okay, okay! Get your coat and bag. You can come into college with me. But hurry up, I don't want to be late.' Naomi heaved a weary sigh of resignation which was not greatly improved by the sight of Katie's face immediately lighting up with relief as she rushed off to get her things. Naomi couldn't help but be suspicious that the tearful, heartbreaking pleading had all been an act, another one of Katie's clever, subtle ruses and mind games which she had fallen for in her desperation to do anything to make Emily happy.

'I thought you normally cycled in to college,' said Katie as she hurried out of the front door in pursuit of Naomi and shut it behind them.

'I do,' replied Naomi curtly without bothering to turn round.

'So, how's this gonna work, then? We could take my car, I suppose.'

'No, we couldn't. You're probably still half pissed. You'd get nicked for drunk driving before you'd even got halfway across town, you total arsewipe!'

'Okay, okay, it was only an idea! So, tell us, Einstein, how are we going to get into town on your bike? Unless of course you've got a tandem secretly stashed away that I didn't know about. Or do you expect me to sit on your lap?'

'We're going to walk in to town, Katie. A bit radical, a bit out of left field, I know but we don't have much alternative. Besides, the fresh air will do you good, believe me.'

'Walk? Are you out of your tiny mind? Walk? I don't do fucking walking!' Katie looked aghast at the idea of putting one foot in front of the other for longer than it normally takes a person to walk from their front door to their car.

'Well, you will today, Katie - unless you've changed your mind and prefer to stay at home all on your own. The choice is yours – I don't care either way but if you are coming with me then you'd better hurry up and make up your mind.'

Naomi strode purposefully off down the road leaving an indecisive, indignant Katie stamping her feet in frustration. After letting out a prolonged, strangled cry she puffed out her cheeks, drew the zipper up still further on her coat and trotted after Naomi, calling out to the blonde now many yards ahead of her to 'slow down, for fuck's sake! We're not training for the bloody Olympics.'

**PART 3**

Emily stormed into the ladies and without even pausing to make a cursory examination of the room to check she was alone, let out a loud, anguished shriek and threw her handbag across the room, watching with utter indifference as it crashed into the washbasins and dropped unceremoniously to the floor, spilling half its contents in the process. 'Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!' she cried, giving full rein to her feelings now that she was alone and able to express herself freely. 'You fucking cow!' she added as the image of Sarah's smug, triumphant grin returned before her eyes in all its grisly, painfully embarrassing glory and she went over to the washbasin area and clung on with both hands as she struggled desperately to contain her emotions. 'You vindictive, spiteful, nasty little piece of shit!'

She felt like bursting into tears and probably would have done so, a course of action which might have made her feel a lot better, had it not been for the sound of a toilet being flushed from behind the closed door of one of the cubicles behind and to her left. She froze in horror, unable to move a muscle for a few moments as she realised that she had clearly not been alone when she had unashamedly poured forth her torrent of justified abuse against her hated rival. She spun round, her heart pounding and her legs trembling, her eyes fixed on the closed cubicle door behind which she could hear further sounds of someone adjusting their clothing and preparing to open the door. Emily wondered briefly if she might have time to flee the scene before the involuntary eavesdropper, doubtless intrigued and amused at the events she must have overheard, could emerge from the cubicle, but she had dilly-dallied too long when immediate action might have saved her from further embarrassment. The door opened and Emily's heart which was already racing like the clappers must have missed several beats when she saw that the person coming out of the cubicle, already sporting a quizzical look and the hint of an amused smile on her face, was none other than Susie Peters.

Emily instinctively closed her eyes and let out a strange half-stifled wail of despair. To her credit she did quickly open them again, realising this was not the most advisable reaction to portray on meeting one's boss, whatever the circumstances but it was too late to prevent Susie from noticing it and raising a curious eyebrow in her direction.

'Are you alright, Emily, my dear?' asked Susie, walking across to the washbasins, her gaze fixed the whole time upon her young employee who was far too busy wishing the floor would open up and swallow her whole to be capable of an instant, reassuring response. Not only did Emily discover that the power of movement was temporarily beyond her but her powers of speech also seemed to have deserted her as she opened her mouth to reply but no intelligible words came out, only an indeterminate grunt which got stuck in her throat and seemed to be slowly suffocating her as she struggled to breathe normally.

'Do I know who this vindictive, spiteful piece of shit is who seems to have upset you so much? Susie turned a benevolent, almost twinkling eye on a stunned Emily as she assiduously washed her hands under the tap. 'I hope it isn't me,' she added with a friendly chuckle as she moved over towards the hand dryer whilst a still dumbstruck Emily groped desperately for the right words to extricate herself from the horrendous and unenviable situation in which her careless actions had now dumped her.

'Oh, God, no!' Emily blurted out, feeling her cheeks turn bright red and her bladder contract like she wanted to piss herself on the spot out of sheer terror and shame. 'Of _course_ I didn't mean you, Miss Peters!'

'Susie,' her boss corrected her softly with a comforting smile as she sought to alleviate her employee's obvious distress. 'Well then, who on earth can this fucking cow be who's upset my blue-eyed girl so much?' Susie leaned in slightly towards Emily and gazed unashamedly into the redhead's face whilst she brushed away a few strands of hair which had fallen down and partially obscured Emily's wide open eyes. 'Although of course your eyes aren't actually blue at all, are they, my dear?'

Emily had never heard Susie Peters swear before and she couldn't help thinking how the abusive language which she herself had used so freely and forcefully a few moments earlier and which her boss was now repeating back to her somehow sounded much less harsh and distasteful coming from her lips than it ever could from her own. She also was momentarily distracted from responding by Susie's close attentions on her face. Not for the first time in the last couple of days Emily felt Susie's sweet breath and delicate perfume permeate her nostrils and fill her head with a strange giddiness that quite overwhelmed her momentarily.

Inwardly pulling herself together Emily finally found the strength and courage to answer Susie's seemingly casual yet quietly probing questions about her extraordinary display of fury and rage at someone whose identity Susie was clearly curious and anxious to ascertain.

Oh, no-one, Miss….I mean, Susie. It's nothing important, just a stupid row I had with someone that I've probably blown up out of all proportion. I…I just needed to let off steam somewhere private, you know…..get it out of my system. I'm okay, now, honestly.'

'Are you quite sure, Emily? It's nothing to do with work, is it? Because if someone in the office has said something or done something to upset you, then I want to know about it.'

Emily started shaking her head vigorously from side to side in a desperate attempt to put Miss Peters off the scent and stop her right at the outset from going down a path that was bound to lead Emily towards further misery, embarrassment and discomfort. 'No, no, Susie, it's nothing like that at all, I assure you. It was…..' and Emily paused for a while, suddenly all too conscious that Susie's eyes were exploring her face with quiet intent and close scrutiny. She looked down at the floor before plumping for the most convincing lie she could come up with on the spur of the moment. 'Well, if you must know, I've just had a row on the phone with Naomi – you know, the…the girl I live with.'

'Ah yes, Naomi, that would be your girlfriend, wouldn't it?' said Susie gently, flashing Emily one of her typically disarming smiles.

Emily nodded in silence. She had never made a secret of her relationship with Naomi from the day she joined the paper but at that moment she couldn't remember specifically telling her boss that she was gay and was in a long-term relationship with a girl called Naomi whom she completely and utterly adored and worshipped. She had to assume that someone else in the office had told Susie about the two of them – probably that loathsome cow Sarah, she thought bitterly.

'Well, I'm sure the whole thing will blow over quite quickly, my dear. I can't imagine someone as nice as you being angry with anyone for too long – especially someone you're apparently so much in love with.'

Susie's warm, genuine smile which had largely comforted and reassured Emily during their initially awkward conversation had now disappeared to be replaced by an odd, expressionless façade which hinted ever so slightly, unless Emily was completely deceived, at a concealed disappointment, even exasperation perhaps which she was valiantly struggling to put a lid on for the sake of good form, propriety and respect.

Emily gave a shy, uncertain smile in return and to hide her feeling of awkwardness bent down to pick up her bag and the contents which had spilled out beneath her feet. Susie fractionally beat her to it however and their two heads almost bumped into each other as they knelt down on the floor just inches apart and between them silently picked up all of Emily's stuff and put it back in her bag in an uneasy silence. Emily muttered a few words of grateful thanks and hurried out of the ladies without turning back to observe Susie Peters standing at the washbasins staring pensively and possibly a touch wistfully after Emily as she left.

**PART 4**

A quietly seething Naomi turned towards a still out of breath Katie who had slumped down in a chair in the college reception area to recover from her unaccustomed exertions and spelt out the alternatives available to her.

'I'm going to my tutorial now, Katie so it's up to you how you amuse yourself until I'm back. You can sit here and read a paper or a magazine, you can go for a walk around the college grounds' – the immediate look of horror on Katie's face seemed to rule that option out as a viable one – 'or you can have a nap which will probably do you good. It's your choice.'

Katie pulled a face to indicate that none of the helpful suggestions made by Naomi curried any favour with her. 'Read, walk some more or go to sleep – is that it? Isn't there anything more interesting to do in this dump?'

'It's a fucking college, Katie, not an amusement park.' Naomi sighed heavily and idly speculated whether anyone would notice or even protest if she locked Katie up in a dark cupboard under the stairs and threw away the key for an hour or two.

'I'm not going to sit here and be bored out of my skull on my own for an hour or so while you and your professor sit on a nice cosy sofa in her plush study knocking back a bottle of wine and wittering on about your poxy thesis. I'd rather die.'

'_Oh God, don't tempt me'_ thought Naomi as her anger and frustration threatened to boil over the surface and explode in a tirade of abuse and a torrent home truths aimed at Katie's selfishness and self-absorption. The blonde looked around frantically for inspiration, for something to come to her rescue in her hour of need, anything that would enable her get rid of this high-maintenance, tiresome pain in the arse for the rest of the afternoon. As if right on cue, just when she was struggling to come up with any other acceptable forms of entertainment and amusement suitable for Katie which didn't involve getting rat-arsed, she spied one of the second year students in her department, a certain Sammy Hardcastle, a fun-loving, happy-go-lucky, amenable sort of guy with whom she got on well, despite his typically uncomplicated, call a spade a bloody shovel, Northern male outlook on life. She called him over with as little panic stricken desperation in her voice as she could manage, a cry to action to which Sammy responded with a smile of anticipation and a definite spring in his step.

'Sammy! Get your arse over here right this minute, boy!

'Hiya, Naomi, me old love. What's going down? You sound like you've got a problem.'

'I have indeed, Sammy,' said Naomi, pulling him gently but insistently towards her and spinning him round to face Katie who was looking up at the good-looking young student with an air of genuine interest. 'Let me introduce you to her. Katie, come and say hello to Sammy. He's going to be your tour guide for the rest of the afternoon. Sammy, meet Katie, she's Emily's twin sister and she needs minding while I'm in my tutorial with the Prof. Can you do the honours?'

'I don't need a fucking babysitter!' protested Katie, getting up from her chair but it was only a token gesture of disapproval at Naomi's suggestion as already Sammy was grinning cheekily across at her and conspicuously eyeing her up and down with an admiration which he made no effort to conceal. She returned his smile with one of her most trusted and reliable 'come hither' looks and quite instinctively straightened her stance, stuck her chest out and giggled at him in excited anticipation at what might be about to ensue. Perhaps this afternoon might not be such a complete write-off after all. Maybe he knew where there was a good pub within a very short walking distance.

'Yes, you do,' retorted Naomi disparagingly and she pulled Sammy closer to her so that she could whisper a few basic, clear instructions in his shell-like without Katie hearing. 'I need you to do me a big favour and keep Katie amused until I've finished my tutorial. Do whatever you like but ON NO ACCOUNT are you to take her to any college bar, pub, hotel or any fucking place where they serve alcohol and get her pissed. If you do, I promise you I will personally castrate you and then force you to eat your bollocks, all washed down with the rankest bottle of plonk I can lay my hands on. Do I make myself clear?'

Sammy laughed and nodded. 'What's in it for me?' he asked. Sammy was a kind, generous soul who would always help a friend in need but he knew the value of doing someone a good turn and never knowingly sold himself short.

'I'll do your next essay for you,' Naomi proposed and Sammy took her up on her offer, especially as he had plans on the romantic front for the next few days which would be seriously jeopardised by the requirement to hand in an important assignment by the end of that week. He had been contemplating asking Naomi if she would be prepared to help him out anyway so this was a more than fortunate coincidence, he thought, which it would be churlish in the extreme for him to ignore.

'Done,' he said and with their business concluded he went over towards Katie who was standing by impatiently waiting for this cloak and dagger, ear-whispering bullshit to be concluded before she could turn her considerable charms and attentions onto this handsome young man, much younger than her obviously but still not indecently so, who promised to be her escape route for the afternoon and her lifeline away from the land of the Living Dead.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

I would like to say a few words of thanks to 'Anony-mouse' who very kindly gave my last chapter a generous review for which I am extremely grateful. I only wish I could respond personally 'one-to-one' but sadly Anony-mouse has not made it possible to do so except like this within the confines of my own story chapters.

I would also love to hear from people who have kindly sent me reviews last year before I started slowing down my output so drastically, especially Covert Fan and KeffyRules. It is of course entirely possible that I have 'lost' them along the way these past few months for which I have no-one but myself to blame. But if either of you are still following this fanfic it would be great to hear from you again – I had a lot of fun corresponding with you!


	30. Chapter 30

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily has a battle of words with a much despised work colleague that causes her huge embarrassment and sends her to seek sanctuary and solitude in the ladies loo to get rid of her anger and resentment. While letting off steam thinking she is alone, Emily is overheard by Susie Peters and is forced to blag her way out of admitting that it was her boss who was the focal point of the earlier uncomfortable confrontation. Naomi gives in to Katie's pleas not to leave her alone in the house and agrees reluctantly to let her hung over friend go in to college with her. Faced with being saddled with an extremely bored Katie for the afternoon Naomi bribes Sammy, a student friend of hers, into 'babysitting' Katie during her tutorial after issuing him strict instructions on pain of death to keep her away from alcohol.

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

**PART 1**

When Naomi came out of her tutorial, she was still feeling a warm glow inside from the red wine that Professor Greaves, as was her unique custom, invited her 'special' students to share with her to make the tutorial more relaxing and informal. It had been a productive, indeed inspirational afternoon with Eleanor and the blonde was in a positive, almost buoyant frame of mind which not even the immediate prospect of being handcuffed to Katie once again could threaten to jeopardise. Naomi wasn't greatly surprised that Katie wasn't waiting for her where she had left her in reception in the capable hands of Sammy so she got on her mobile and rang her young second year friend to find out where they were. Only when Sammy failed to answer his phone after three attempts within the space of five minutes did Naomi begin to get the hump.

A brief, casual enquiry at reception led her off outside the main college building and over towards the sweeping expanse of lawn and meadow in which direction she had been advised Katie and Sammy had last been seen wandering off arm in arm, in high spirits and deep in conversation. Naomi's good mood was just starting to diminish a touch as she scoured the vast landscape stretching out in front of her, straining her eyes to catch a glimpse of Katie or her temporary escort but all to no avail. Letting out a sigh of exasperation and swearing profusely under her breath, Naomi began the inevitable trudge around the college grounds to hunt down the two miscreants, hell bent on giving both of them a piece of her mind when she eventually located them.

She was loath to allow her current euphoria and positivity to be spoiled by Katie and all her stupid tricks and games but spending the latter part of the afternoon on an unnecessary game of hide and seek had not been on her agenda. She tried Sammy's phone again but still got no answer. 'Fuck you, Sammy!' the blonde cried, her voice rising in indignation and frustration. If he was still expecting to be rewarded for his escort work with an immaculate essay then he had another think coming. That promise came with an implied condition that he had to bring his charge back to Naomi on time and in the same condition in which he found her. Goods not returned promptly or which proved to be faulty or defective on their return did not qualify for a full refund – there would be a charge to pay and Naomi was determined to make Sammy pay a heavy price if he had not taken due care of the goods entrusted to him.

She lengthened her stride as she set off in the direction of the ornate, beautifully manicured and expertly tended gardens of which the college was justifiably so proud, straining her eyes and ears in a desperate attempt to pick out the unmistakeable outline of Katie's curvaceous body or the tell-tale sounds of Katie's dulcet tones.

**PART 2**

When Innocent burst in on DI Lewis and DS Hathaway, both men deep in thought, eyes fixed on the murder investigation board in the incident room, her face spoke volumes as to her state of mind and her mood. The two men immediately exchanged sombre, silent glances. Hathaway winced imperceptibly in anticipation of the torrent of rage he felt sure was about to explode from Innocent's mouth while Lewis pursed his lips in calmer contemplation of their boss whose occasional bouts of unrestrained fury he was well used to and had learned to ride with all the expertise and admirable forbearance of the well-travelled, battle-hardened copper that he was.

'Have you two clowns been deliberately avoiding me?' was Innocent's spiky, opening gambit which, as a starter for ten, possessed a fair degree of directness requiring considerable skill and thought in answering and clearly pointed out the path that their boss seemed intent on leading them down. 'I've had search parties tearing this station apart looking for the pair of you!' She ignored the minutely raised eyebrow on Lewis' face and ploughed on regardless. 'I sincerely hope for both your sakes you have a _phenomenally_ good explanation.'

'Yes, Ma'am,' said Lewis curtly, approaching Innocent with his right arm outstretched and a piece of paper in his hand. 'We've just received another message from the killer. Obviously we were downstairs with the duty sergeant poring over it whilst you were hunting high and low for us.'

'Clearly our killer is more successful in getting messages through to you than I am,' replied Innocent coldly, her black humour matching the dark mood into which this latest unexpected news had suddenly plunged her. She read the message quickly and looked up at the two detectives who were watching her in silence. 'I've just spent an extremely uncomfortable hour with the chief constable, in case you hadn't heard. He's quite keen to know if we have any plans to wrap this case up any time soon before the killer gets bored leading us a merry dance all around Oxford and decides to branch out across the entire country.'

Hathaway blinked stoically back at Chief Superintendent Innocent's withering sarcasm and was tempted to leap to his boss's aid and mount a robust defence of their hitherto unsuccessful efforts to catch the killer but he knew it was not his place to do so and that he would be speaking out of turn.

'We are pulling out all the stops, Ma'am, I can assure you,' said DI Lewis in what he hoped was a placatory and reassuring tone. 'Hathaway and I are planning to re-interview one or two family members of the victims to dig around a bit deeper to see if we missed anything the first time.'

'That would be a start,' nodded Innocent who didn't exactly enjoy balling out the officers under her command but was never afraid to do so if an investigation seemed in her eyes to be stalling or stagnating. Shit always had a habit of travelling downwards and that day was no exception. 'I thought you said there wouldn't be any more murders?'

'I said I thought it was _possible_ that the murders had ended with the third one,' said Lewis, correcting Innocent's slightly inaccurate version of his previous bold statement. 'The three murders seemed to be linked to each other in a full circle, the last of which brought us back to the first one.'

'This latest threat would appear to knock back your theory completely, then?

'I've been thinking about that, Ma'am,' interrupted Hathaway, anxious not to be seen as a spare part in these uncomfortable discussions and keen not to stand meekly by and let his boss take all the flak.

'Really?' It was Innocent's turn now to raise an eyebrow in mock surprise. 'I'm delighted to hear that thinking still plays a central role in your investigation procedure, Sergeant. I'm sure the chief constable will be hugely reassured when I report back to him.'

Hathaway ignored the caustic remark and continued with his newly formed theory on spying an encouraging nod from Lewis. 'I was wondering if there might be something else that connects these victims, something or perhaps someone _inside _the circle that the victims don't know but is known to the murderer. Something must have motivated our man to commit these murders and maybe that catalyst lies within the boundaries of our three victims but is personal to our murderer.'

Innocent gave Hathaway's complex suggestion the dignity of some considered thought for a few moments and turned towards Lewis for his reaction.

'Hathaway might be on to something there, Ma'am. I think it's worth exploring as deep as we can. That's why I want to speak to the victims' families again right now – if you don't need us for anything else.'

'The only thing I need from the pair of you is a result, Lewis. Preferably before the chief constable loses patience and cuts short my glittering career. And believe me, if that were to happen, you two will be directing traffic or giving talks in schools about community policing before you could blink.'

'Noted, Ma'am,' said Lewis with a grimace which showed he knew she wasn't joking or issuing idle threats. Innocent was a fair-minded and, by and large, loyal and supportive boss but she was also fiercely ambitious and wouldn't shrink from taking others down with her if she felt they had been largely responsible for muddying the waters with her superiors..

**PART 3**

Naomi's blood pressure was threatening to rise to dangerously high levels. She had been trawling around the college grounds for some ten minutes now and had seen neither hide nor hair of Katie or Sammy, either separately or together. She was beginning to think that the sightings of the two of them placing them in the general area of the gardens had been a figment of certain people's imagination. As she stood seething and fuming a few feet away from the garden's potting shed situated at the far right corner of the gardens, wondering what her next move should be, her mobile rang. She fumbled in her bag for it and upon seeing it was Emily calling groaned out loud which was a very unusual reaction on her part.

'Hi babes,' she answered, endeavouring to inject a false note of cheerfulness into her voice to cover up the deep-seated anxiety she was feeling at having irresponsibly misplaced Emily's twin. 'How's it going?'

'Where the hell are you, Naoms? And where's Katie? I've just got home and the house is empty!' The redhead sounded as worried as fuck and Naomi didn't dare increase her girlfriend's anxiety by telling her the truth. A little white lie, some skilful embroidering of the current situation was what was called for, if only to buy herself some more time to track down the missing basket case and drag her back home kicking and screaming (Naomi would be doing the kicking and Katie the screaming).

'Relax, Ems. Everything's cool. I brought her over to college with me this afternoon. I've just finished with the Prof and I'm going to pick up her up and bring her home with me now.'

Naomi could hear Emily breathing a heavy sigh of relief on hearing the story she had just spun her which, whilst being economical with truth, did not contain any actual barefaced lies.

'Oh, thank God for that! For one minute I was shitting myself she'd done a runner and was getting totally arseholed in town yet again.'

Naomi closed her eyes for a second, bit her lip to suppress a small groan and gave an involuntary shudder as the awful notion crossed her mind that the little minx might be doing just that as they were speaking. She began nervously pacing up and down rather aimlessly as she continued talking to Emily until she found herself right up against the side of the potting shed. She leaned back casually against it as she tried to bring her awkward conversation with Emily to a quick conclusion. Suddenly, just as the two girls were saying their farewells to each other, Naomi became vaguely aware of some muffled, high-pitched yelling and screaming close by and she broke off her conversation to look up and around her, intrigued to locate the source and cause of the noise. She told Emily to hang on for a second as she took a few tentative paces in each direction and listened hard but failed to see either Katie or Sammy.

It wasn't until some seconds later, after retracing her steps back to the shed where she had first heard the strange cries that Naomi realised that the shrieking sounds were in fact coming from inside the shed itself and were undeniably getting louder and more persistent than before. Some tiny notion in the dark recesses of her mind suggested what the sounds signified but it was obviously too far back and too vague to be a sufficient warning not to do what she then did next. Ignoring Emily's repeated bemused cries on the other end of the phone asking what the fuck was going on, the blonde grabbed hold of the handle of the unassuming little wooden potting shed, turned it very slowly and carefully and quietly opened the door just enough to be able to see inside without unduly attracting the attention of the occupants.

The sight that met Naomi's eyes was one that would ordinarily cause her to collapse in a fit of helpless giggles, so comical and outrageous was it. On this occasion however, given her somewhat tetchy mood and her discomfort at having just concealed the truth from Emily about Katie's disappearing act, Naomi found it hard to burst out laughing at the scene that confronted her.

Sammy was standing with his back to her or rather, to more precise, with his bare arse facing her, his discarded boxers still lying on the ground at his feet where he had presumably dropped them some time ago although he had kept his shirt on, perhaps in an effort to retain a modicum of decency and dignity during the proceedings. He was thrusting his manhood backwards and forwards with commendable precision whilst holding gently on to his accomplice's exposed, bouncing breasts to ensure that he didn't overbalance and bring them both crashing down in an embarrassing heap.

His accomplice in what can only be described as an act of wanton and unashamed debauchery, Katie Fitch was lying on her back on what appeared to Naomi to be an old trestle table, her short skirt pulled up around her waist and her knickers nowhere to be seen, whilst her ankles and feet were raised and crossed behind Sammy's neck. Her arms were stretched out above her head in a futile attempt to hold steady the shelf that was situated a few inches above her and which was shaking violently under the urgent, yet admirably rhythmical thrusting motions that Sammy was making.

The shelf was seriously threatening to deposit all of the plant pots and the other gardening items laid out on it all over the giggling girl who was struggling to keep them at bay as her screams, moans and panting became ever louder and more violent. A number of the plants had stems and flowers that hung down from the shelf and one or two were bouncing around Katie's face, occasionally disappearing into her ear hole or tickling her nose which made the poor girl laugh and giggle all the more– when she wasn't gasping and groaning, that is.

For a while neither of the copulating couple seemed to be aware that they were being gawped at with considerable distaste by their uninvited intruder, so intensely were they concentrating on their multitasking activities of strenuous sex and artistic flower arranging. However their blissful ignorance was destroyed when Katie suddenly opened her eyes for a few seconds and moved her head to her left to avoid a particularly persistent flower from going up her nose again and in so doing caught sight of a dumbstruck Naomi peering across at them from the slightly open doorway. Katie couldn't help but let out a scream of startled surprise which must have had a different pitch and tone to it compared with her normal sex-induced squeals and shrieks since Sammy was alerted that something was up (besides himself) and, the puzzled young stallion immediately stopped thrusting and turned his head in the direction of where Katie was staring with a horrified expression of guilt etched all over her face.

As a still frame, an image frozen in time, the scene of a gobsmacked Sammy and Katie, naked from the waist down, caught in the act of unbridled sex in far from the most salubrious of surroundings, staring blankly across the shed at an open-mouthed Naomi eyeing them up and down from the doorway, it would have made a half decent caption competition for a lads mag. As it was, Naomi felt especially uncomfortable at this sight for sore eyes as it brought back painful memories of a time many years ago when she and Cook had almost done the business in an empty classroom at Roundview College as they laid sprawled out on top of each other amongst a heap of books and other objects across a desk pushed up against a wall. The sudden thought of that long-forgotten lucky escape in her life made her shudder with shame and disgust and she quickly turned her mind to the matter in hand.

'What the fuck do you two think you're doing?' she shouted angrily as she pushed the door open a little wider and took a couple of hesitant steps forward into the shed. Sammy stood motionless, looking across at her, somewhat bemused. Naomi wasn't normally one for stating the bleeding obvious or asking daft questions. As a rule she was far more penetrating than that. His response was brief and unequivocal.

'Fucking,' he said calmly without batting an eyelid. 'What does it look like?'

'I told you to keep her out of trouble, you total tosspot!'

'No,' corrected Sammy as he slowly and deliberately extricated his battleship from Katie's warm harbour and bent down to pick up his boxer shorts, without exhibiting the slightest hint of embarrassment that his still fully erect penis was now fully on display. 'You told me to make sure she didn't have any booze. You didn't say anything about making sure she didn't have any sex. There _is_ a difference.'

Katie burst out giggling at the sight of Naomi quietly seething at Sammy's smart-arse response and she stretched out a hand towards him as he was putting his boxers on and motioned him to come back. 'Oi, Sammy! We haven't finished yet! At least_, I_ haven't finished yet.'

'Yes, you fucking well have!' said Naomi curtly, turning round sharply to face the couple again, having hurriedly looked away the second Sammy's impressive manhood had come into her line of vision. Suddenly the blonde became aware that Emily, whom she had quite forgotten about ever since she had been unwillingly transformed into a Peeping Tom, was screaming down the phone and she put her mobile to her ear, pink with shame and horror at her forgetfulness before launching into a torrent of profuse apologies and desperate excuses which cracked Katie up even more. After finally succeeding in reassuring a bewildered and fraught Emily that everything was fine and that she and Katie would be home in half an hour, stone cold sober and in one piece, Naomi rang off and glared across at Katie with a look that would have made Medusa proud.

'Get dressed, the pair of you, right now! Emily's expecting us. I'll speak to you later, Sammy. Don't think for one minute you're getting out of this scot free. I haven't decided what unspeakable tortures I'm going to put you through but, trust me, you _will_ be in agony for weeks.'

'For fucks sake, Naomi!' protested Katie, screwing up her face in frustration. 'Can't you lighten up a bit? You're not my bloody mother, after all. I can screw who I like, where I like, when I like and there's not a damned thing you can do about it. Besides, I've had to put up with listening to you and Em screwing away for the past couple of weeks. It's only fair you have to listen to me having a good time for once.'

Naomi's face turned a light shade of pink before swiftly changing to as black as thunder. She watched tight-lipped as Katie slowly got dressed, gave Sammy a sloppy, lingering goodbye and thank you smacker which she made last as long as possible without risking half-suffocating the pair of them before strutting out of the shed like a model on a catwalk under Naomi's withering glare, leaving an amused Sammy casting a wistful, wry grin after the two girls as the door was pointedly slammed shut in his pensive face.

**PART 4**

Cook was enjoying himself immensely in Dawn's flat. In fact he was having a whale of a time, so much so that he had almost forgotten the reason why he had been forced to go into hiding and that he had a massively difficult conversation with Effy to deal with in the very near future. Almost but not quite for that realisation weighed heavy on his mind from time to time when he wasn't exploiting Dawn's hospitality to the full. His new best friend had, after all, told him to make himself at home so all he was doing was taking her precisely at her word although it's doubtful whether the young doctor had in mind even half of what Cook had been up to so far that day.

He had ransacked the kitchen first of all, opening up fridge, larder, bread bin and all the cupboards to see what Dawn had left in the flat to eat and he had scoffed his way heartily through a large proportion of what he saw as proper, decent food already. He had found that being a wanted man on the run, knowing that the county's police force were hunting high and low to find him, had given him an even greater appetite than normal. He had become constantly famished although even he did draw the line at some things.

This was, as he reminded himself with a resigned shrug of the shoulders and a pitying smile, a young _woman's_ flat after all so it was to be expected that he would find a number of healthy options on offer like salads (Cook hated anything green including tomatoes), crispbread, a bewildering array of fruit and vegetables, some of which he had never seen before, yoghurts and crunchy nut cereals, all of which Cook had sniffily turned his nose up at and ignored with a weary shake of his head. Why did women who were already wafer thin in the first place insist on going on a healthy eating diet when, if anything, they could have done with putting on a few pounds rather than losing some more? He would never understand women, he thought with a smile as he pushed the unappetising healthy items to the back of the fridge or food cupboards and concentrated on the far more interesting unhealthy options open to him.

Consequently he had brunched like a king on bacon, eggs, mushrooms (yes, granted technically vegetables but that didn't count if you fried them swimming in cooking oil like he did), baked beans – he badly needed to clear out his digestive system – and several slices of fried bread. He would have happily washed down that hearty collection of fats and cholesterol with a can or two of beer but, horror of all horrors, there was no beer in the flat! Clearly Dawn didn't entertain male visitors much or, if she did, then she wasn't the sort of girl who always made a point of keeping a can or two of ice cold lager in the fridge for her man to open for him when he got home from a hard day's work. She did have a couple of bottles of wine but Cook wasn't much of a wine merchant – more a wind-up merchant, if truth be told – and in any case he didn't think wine would go with a cooked breakfast so he contented himself with making a brew and downing a couple of mugs of strong tea, with heaped spoonfuls of sugar added to complete the builders' menu.

After stuffing himself with enough food to last Dawn an entire week in all probability, he was in no fit state to do anything but crash out full length on her comfy living room sofa and explore the home entertainments centre which Dawn's obvious love of modern technology had thoughtfully provided for him. Before long he had sifted through her impressive collection of CDs, exclaiming in loud appreciation on finding a Motorhead album and a couple of passable hard rock/heavy metal compilations which he promptly put on and listened to at full volume, causing the walls almost to shake under the strain of the Ace of Spades, Lynryd Skynyrd's timeless classic Freebird and a variety of Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath tracks. He was in his element as he belted out the lyrics with, he would be the first to admit, about as much tunefulness as a tone deaf zombie but he didn't give a flying fuck. He thought he heard some animated banging from the other side of the wall at one point but no prolonged ring at the front door resulted so he guessed whoever had been a touch put out by the noise had eventually fallen into a coma and wouldn't be disturbing him any more.

After he had exhausted most of Dawn's non-easy listening, non-girly record collection, Cook turned his attention next to her DVD collection which he was surprised to find contained one or two more unexpected gems which he wouldn't have thought she would have been a fan of, unless they belonged to a friend whose tastes were more in line with his own. Soon he had slipped Aliens into the DVD drive and sprawled out indecorously on the scatter cushions lining the length of the settee to enjoy the unequal struggle in space between a bunch of cocky, fearless US marines armed to the teeth with some seriously heavy hand artillery and a colony of indestructible alien creatures with acid for blood and armed with nothing more than a really bad attitude.

He had wandered into the kitchen at some point during the film, intent on satisfying his increasing craving for some alcohol, and pulled out at random a bottle of red wine from Dawn's small but perfectly acceptable wine rack. Opening wine bottles was not one of Cook's life skills and his first attempt with a corkscrew succeeded in first breaking then sending the cork back into the bottle in several pieces instead of prising it out. Undeterred and wholly unashamed by his botched manual dexterity, he simply tipped up the bottle and patiently poured the wine drip by drip past the cork and into the large tumbler he had purloined from a kitchen cupboard – he couldn't be arsed to be all sophisticated and drink it out of a wine glass- before returning with both glass and bottle back to his film. Unsurprisingly he fell asleep shortly before the end, wearied by a combination of a heavy fry-up, full-bodied red wine and a recent lack of a good sleep, having spent most of the previous night screwing instead of sleeping.

Thus it was that the sound of a key in the front door lock and Dawn's entrance into the flat completely passed him by until he was unceremoniously woken up by the pretty young doctor shaking him violently by the shoulders and greeting him with a ton of abuse as she stood over him, glaring down at him with a face like a smacked arse.

'Oi, you bastard! What the hell do you think you're doing loafing about on my sofa with your shoes on, drinking my best wine and helping yourself to my DVDs? Oh, and another thing: if it isn't too much trouble, just who the fuck are you, _Doctor _Cook?'

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

It was great to hear from an old friend, Covert Fan, once again and I'm really chuffed you've stuck with the fanfic and are still enjoying it! It was also a lovely surprise to get a review from 'Anon again' even though I'm not entirely convinced this is the same person as 'Anon' who reviewed some of the earlier chapters way back last year.

More thanks must go to 'Anony-mouse' for his?/her? latest review- I am most grateful for all your very kind words. I really am trying to post more regularly but it's not easy at the moment – I don't seem to be able to find the time to post more often than every couple of weeks but hopefully that will improve now that the football season is finished and work is less demanding!


	31. Chapter 31

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Naomi emerges from her tutorial to find that Katie has disappeared and goes off in search of her. Lewis and Hathaway come under heavy pressure from a displeased Ch. Spt. Innocent to bring the murder investigation to a swift and successful conclusion. Naomi trawls all around the college grounds and eventually discovers Katie having sex with Sammy in one of the sheds. She vents her fury on the coupling pair and gets a few choice words from Katie in return when she tries to drag her back home. Cook takes full advantage of Dawn's hospitality and has a ball in her flat while she is at work but is confronted later by a furious Dawn who has found out in the meantime that Cook is not the doctor that he claimed to be.

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

**PART 1**

Sgt. Hathaway cursed mildly under his breath as his third successive ring at the doorbell of the Martin family house failed to produce any response from within. Clearly Mrs Martin was out and this time her daughter was not in the house awaiting her return. He would have to try again a bit later and was already walking back to his car when a thought suddenly struck him and he turned round and headed back towards the house belonging to the Martins' neighbours on their left. When Hathaway had called before to interview the immediate neighbours, that particular house had been empty, he now remembered, and so couldn't be questioned about the Martins. Perhaps he would now be in luck, he thought, and sure enough he was.

A ring at their doorbell elicited a fairly prompt response and a minute or two later Hathaway was sitting on a hideous flowery patterned sofa in a small, yet perfectly presentable living room while the lady of the house fussed over him and insisted on making a pot of tea and bringing out some fairy cakes and some extremely appetising scones, complete with jam and cream. It had been some time since Hathaway had been treated to afternoon High Tea and he decided it would be churlish in the extreme to refuse Mrs Rowan's kind offer, especially as first impressions suggested she might be the sort of woman who liked nothing more than sitting next to a nice young man and having a good old gossip about the neighbours over tea and scones. As luck would have it, Hathaway's instincts were to prove spot on.

'Such a terrible business, that was, with Dr Martin,' said Hathaway's hostess as she poured him a cup of piping hot tea and placed it with deliberate precision in front of him. 'I read about it in the papers when I got back from my daughter's. I could hardly believe my eyes. Such a wicked, wicked thing to do, even to… well, no-one deserves to die like that, no-one.'

Hathaway's ears pricked up and he leaned forward as he sipped his tea, his eyes fixed on Mrs Rowan. 'Even to what, Mrs Rowan? Did you know Dr Martin and the family well?'

'Not that well. I mean, obviously we passed the time of the day as you do when you're neighbours, of course. But we weren't exactly in and out of each other's houses all the time. Besides, they hadn't been here very long. They moved in about, oh, I suppose it must have been about nine months ago.'

'But you _did_ know the family, didn't you? What was he like, Dr Martin? '

Mrs Rowan sat very still, giving the question considerable thought before answering. 'He was a very quiet, private man, very clever of course – he was a lecturer at one of the Oxford colleges, you know. But he wasn't one for chatting much, not like his wife. Now, she was very nice, we got on fairly well together. She came over for a cup of tea and a natter every now and then. I think she was glad of the company, you know. She got quite lonely, I suspect, what with her husband working such long hours over at the university.'

'Did the Martins have many arguments or rows?'

Mrs Rowan shook her head slowly. 'Not that I was aware of, Sergeant. I mean, no more than the usual silly little arguments that all married couples have, anyway. Not like the couple on the other side of me, that's for sure. They're always at each other's throats, that family. You should hear them sometimes! Loud enough to wake the dead!'

Hathaway nodded and gave Mrs Rowan a knowing smile as if to convey his sympathy for her having such noisy neighbours. 'But surely Mrs Martin saw quite a lot of her daughter, Jenny, didn't she? She wouldn't have felt that lonely with her daughter living not that far away.'

'Oh, Jenny hardly ever came to see them. I can only remember her visiting the house a few times since they moved here.'

'Really?' Hathaway's curiosity was seriously aroused. 'Why was that? Had Jenny fallen out with her parents over something?'

'No, I don't think so. I certainly don't remember Mrs Martin saying she'd fallen out with her daughter.'

'What about ? Did he perhaps mention having had a row with her – maybe they'd argued about an unsuitable boyfriend or something like that?'

'No, no, I don't think so. In fact, now you come to mention it…' but Mrs Rowan's voice suddenly tailed off into nothing as she seemed to stare into thin air rather dreamily over Hathaway's left shoulder.

'What, Mrs Rowan? Now I come to mention what?' He leaned forward imperceptibly again, urgently seeking an explanation from the middle-aged widow who had been so loquacious up until now. This would not be a good time for her to change tack, clam up and hold back what little vital information she knew about the Martins.

'Well I never! How odd!' said Mrs Rowan, as if she was struggling to put the pieces of her own story together and was doubting the wisdom of revealing what had just struck her.

'What's odd?' asked Hathaway, containing his impatience as best he could. 'Please, Mrs Rowan. Any information you have about the Martins, however insignificant or unimportant it may seem to you, could be vital to our investigation into Dr Martin's murder. I implore you to tell me whatever it is that's just occurred to you.'

Mrs Rowan dragged herself away from her distracted gazing into space and stared into Hathaway's wide, blue, kind eyes which seemed, to her, to be casting some kind of gentle, mesmeric spell on her. She never could resist a pair of imploring, beseeching, bright blue eyes from a tall, handsome young man and she caved in readily, her natural resistance already broken down as she felt like putty in his hands.

'Well, it's just occurred to me that….that I've never seen young Jenny visit her parents while her father was around. I'm sure she's only ever called to see her mother during the day when Dr Martin was working. She certainly never came round here in the evenings or at the weekend, like you'd expect her to. I wonder why that is. I've never heard Mrs Martin speak about any problems between Jenny and her father.'

Hathaway made a few discreet notes in his notebook whilst Mrs Rowan stared dreamily off into space once more, clearly surprised by this recent discovery she had made about her neighbours and seemingly intent on mulling it over in her mind. Hathaway asked a few follow-up questions on the same theme of Jenny Martin's relationship with her father but Mrs Rowan's attention span had been disturbed beyond the point where it could be recovered to any great degree. Hathaway quickly concluded he had extracted as much useful information out of her as he was likely to now and so he respectfully made his farewells and thanked her for her generous hospitality before taking his leave, pondering on his return to his car just what new lines of enquiry this new information might lead them down.

**PART 2**

As DI Lewis pulled up outside the house of the former chief editor of the Oxford Herald he noticed out of the corner of his eye the front door opening. He switched off the ignition but remained seated in his car, pulling back slightly in an attempt to conceal his face from the women who were saying their farewells to each other. The younger woman, tall, fair haired and very attractive embraced the elder woman who patted her comfortingly on the shoulder as if to give her reassurance and encouragement before she pulled away, somewhat reluctantly so it appeared to Lewis, and trotted down the garden path. The fair-haired woman's face, which was instantly recognisable to him, seemed pale and drawn and he could have sworn there were still a few traces of tears visible on her cheeks which he could see her wiping away with the back of her hand before she disappeared up the street. Lewis waited until the older woman slowly closed the front door before venturing out from the driver's seat and moving up the garden path towards the front door which he promptly rung.

'It's Inspector Lewis, isn't it?' Mrs Wells cried out in surprise on opening the door and seeing him standing on her doorstep, his face heavy with the professional seriousness that only a police detective hell-bent on doing his duty can convey.

'May I come in, Mrs Wells? I have a few more questions to ask you about your husband. It won't take long.'

Mrs Wells showed him in to the house but Lewis couldn't help noticing a certain nervousness and discomfort on her part which was in marked contrast to her confident manner on the occasion of their last meeting. As soon as they had sat down in the lounge Lewis went straight to the point.

'Forgive me, Mrs Wells but was that Jenny Martin I saw leaving your house just now?'

'Um….. well, yes it was, as a matter of fact,' said Mrs Wells, clearly startled by the directness of the inspector's question.

'I wasn't aware you two knew each other. How do you know her?'

'Oh, Jenny and I go back a number of years, Inspector. I knew her when she was at school in Reading. I…I used to give private tuition in those days, you see. Maths lessons for kids who were struggling at school. Jenny was having problems and her parents were very anxious that she should pass her maths exams so I….. I gave her some private lessons for a year. It worked, though. She passed all her exams.'

Lewis frowned. 'When Jenny was shown a picture of your husband, Mrs Wells, she claimed she had never seen him before.'

'Oh, she wouldn't have done, Inspector. I always gave my private lessons at the pupil's home, not my own. As far as I'm aware, Jenny never met my husband or knew anything about him at all.'

Lewis looked at Mrs Wells with a measured degree of disbelief and suspicion. 'What, you mean you taught Jenny for a whole year and you never once talked about your family at all? That doesn't seem very likely.'

'No, we didn't, Inspector, I assure you. I was paid to help Jenny improve her maths ability, not to spend time gossiping and chatting about our families. I never discussed my private life with Jenny.'

'But surely she would have recognised your husband's name, at least!' Lewis was finding Mrs Wells' explanations increasingly preposterous and he was struggling to keep his temper under control. The woman was trying to pull the wool over his eyes and he didn't take too kindly to people making a fool of him.

'I'd be very surprised if she did. Wells isn't exactly an uncommon name, is it? Besides, it was many years ago that I taught her. If I did mention my husband was a journalist back then, I expect she's quite forgotten by now. We've kept in touch from time to time on the phone and then when her parents moved to Oxford she promised she would try to pop over and see me whenever she visited them.'

Lewis pursed his lips silently as he contemplated the middle-aged woman who stared back at him with an expression bordering dangerously on defiance that was now a far cry from the diffidence and uncertainty that she had met him with on his unexpected arrival. It was as if she had grown in self-assurance the more she recounted the complex story of her relationship with Jenny Martin. He would have to find a way of checking it out, that was for sure. He still smelt a rat. He didn't believe it, or at least he found it hard to convince himself it was all true. He sensed she was lying to him somewhere along the line and that made him very angry and frustrated inside.

'And that was what she was doing just now, was it? Dropping by on you right out of the blue? Bit of a coincidence that she waited until _after _the murders of both her father AND your husband to do that, isn't it?'

'I couldn't possibly say, Inspector. Jenny's a very busy young woman nowadays, so I believe. I expect she hasn't been able to find the time to come over and see me until now.'

'She looked to be very upset when she left you just now. Crying, I thought.'

'She's only recently lost her father, Inspector Lewis. Of course she was upset. It was a terrible shock for her, for her _and_ her mother. I did what I could to try to cheer her up a little and help her start to get over the shock. I told her I would always be here for her whenever she needed a chat.'

Lewis gave up pushing Mrs Wells on this point and decided to try a different tack. 'You must have known Jenny's parents, then.'

'I met her mother, of course, but never her father. He was always out at work when I came to their house to give Jenny tuition.'

'What do you know about Jenny's relationship with her father? Did they get on all right? Were there any problems between them back then that you knew of?'

'I don't recall Jenny mentioning having any problems with either of her parents, Inspector. She seemed a perfectly normal, happy teenage girl with a perfectly normal relationship with her parents – in as much as any teenage girl gets on well with her parents. Have you got children, Inspector? '

'Two. Boy and a girl. Both grown up and left home now, of course,' said Lewis with a wistful half-smile as thoughts and images of his two children flooded into his head and momentarily tempered his mood.

'And did you never have any rows with them when they were growing up?'

'All the time,' said Lewis, nodding and chuckling in acknowledgement of Mrs Wells' point.

'Well then, you'll understand what I'm getting at, won't you? I've no reason to believe that Jenny and her parents had anything other than a normal, healthy family life together.'

Lewis got up with a sigh. The memories Mrs Wells had forced into his head of his kids, now both living their own lives some distance away from him, had made him feel desperately sad and lonely all of a sudden. He wanted to get back to his quiet, empty little house and violently shake himself out of this mood of despair and isolation into which he had been inadvertently plunged. He also needed to think long and hard about everything he had seen and heard that afternoon. Something wasn't adding up and all this talk of maths suggested to him he needed to do some serious mental arithmetic of his own.

**PART 3**

As Naomi virtually frogmarched a far from contrite and still giggling Katie back home, she struggled to contain her annoyance and exasperation with her girlfriend's twin who, to her scrambled and frazzled mind, seemed hell bent on making life almost intolerable for her. Naomi knew she shouldn't be allowing Katie to wind her up, to disturb her equilibrium and peace of mind as she geared up for a very important moment in her academic life – the submission of her all-important doctorate which she was counting on to shape her whole future career- but the young blonde post-graduate student felt helpless to resist Katie's seemingly deliberate acts of self-destruction which could only jeopardise the strength of her relationship with Emily.

'Now listen to me, you pain in the fucking arse,' she cried, her voice betraying the slightest of tremors as she fought hard to control her emotions and resist the urge to thump Katie on the nose. 'You don't mention a word of what went on this afternoon to Ems, okay? Do you hear me? She's worried shitless enough as it is about you and your drinking problem. She doesn't need to hear all about you screwing a complete stranger in the college grounds, understand?'

'Lighten up, Naomi, before you give yourself a heart attack,' sniggered an unsympathetic Katie who was growing increasingly resentful of Naomi's Big Sister act. 'I might have a little bit of a drink problem, I'll give you that but I haven't got a screwing problem. Anyway, since when did you have the right to become judge and jury of the morals of our family? You don't exactly live your life according to the scriptures of the Holy Bible, do you? God's supposed to have created Adam and Eve, not _Madam_ and Eve, isn't he?'

Naomi gave Katie a murderous look which would have felled a less strong-willed and defiant character than Emily's sister but wisely chose not to succumb to the bait of Katie's blatantly crude provocation and return instant rapid fire. She opted for the softly, softly approach instead, calculating that pandering to Katie's vanity and sense of self-importance was more likely to produce the desired result.

'Look, Katie, I know you love Emily. I know you wouldn't want to upset her right now, what with Effy being in hospital and her worrying about you, never mind the pressure she's under at work. She's having a really difficult time right now, you know, we all are, even you. And there's been all these murders happening, one of them even on our own fucking doorstep! No wonder she's been as nervous and jittery as hell this past week. Do her a really big favour, Katie and give her a break, will you? I'm sure you don't want her to have a nervous breakdown any more than I do.'

A noticeably becalmed Katie shook her head slowly in silence. Naomi's well judged words of entreaty, aimed at her caring sisterly side, had softened her previously belligerent approach. She loved winding Naomi up, it was true, but she still adored her sister and she too had observed during her more sober and lucid moments over the last few days the change in Emily's normally sweet, calm, upbeat nature. She had put it down largely to what she saw as the inevitable pressures of being in a weird and wacky relationship with a total screwball like Naomi but maybe the Blonde from Hell wasn't talking out of her enormous arse for once. Perhaps Emily was being given a rough time full stop - not just from her frequently drunken, confused and frightened sister but from everything and everyone else around her.

'Okay, it's a deal. I'll keep a lid on what happened this afternoon but I want you to do me a favour in return? On seeing Naomi's immediate look of dismay Katie hastened to ease her fears and natural suspicions that she was on the point of being blackmailed into doing something really unpleasant and underhand. 'Keep your knickers on, Naomi! I'm not asking you to shag a guy or anything sordid and disgusting like that. I just want you to forgive Sammy and not rip his balls off like you said you would. In fact, if you can give me his phone number as well I reckon I can see my way to keeping quiet about everything, including you keeping it from Emily when she rang while you caught us doing it!'

**PART 4**

Dawn had given Cook the third degree treatment on the subject of his personal credentials on her return home and to his credit he had stood up pretty well to such a sustained and vigorous cross–examination. He had been forced to come clean and admit he wasn't a real doctor since she had taken the trouble to make the requisite enquiries with personnel who had confirmed that there was no Doctor Cook working at the hospital, neither now or at any time in the past.

'So why did you pretend to be a doctor, then?' Dawn demanded to know as she glared darkly down at a mildly amused James Cook who hadn't moved from the sofa where she had found him.

'I'm sorry about that, babe,' said Cook with a conciliatory grin as he looked up at Dawn. 'I needed a cover story to get out of the hospital in one piece.'

'Why? What have you done? Are you in trouble with the police?' Dawn asked nervously, concerned that she might have hooked herself up with a master criminal or, worse, some complete psychopathic maniac who had escaped from a mental asylum.

'Calm down, babe! Of course not. I've just….how shall I say…upset a couple of people, that's all. Nothing heavy, just a little argument over a gambling debt. It's nothing for you to worry about, trust me.'

'Trust you? You must be joking. I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you. You've lied to me, you've used me. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't boot your arse out of here right now!'

Cook could see that Dawn was deadly serious. Her face was contorted in rage and she was breathing heavily, the emotion of her outburst causing her whole body to tremble.

He realised he would have to be at his most convincing and charming to dig himself out of this hole otherwise he would be back out on the streets again with nowhere to hide, nowhere to run to and exposed to the glare of the Oxford Constabulary's scrutiny.

'How about…. I could be dead meat if you throw me out on to the streets tonight?'

'I thought you said it was nothing heavy, Cook. That kind of sounds pretty heavy to me. Or is this just another one of your fantastic fairy stories that you've made up to pull the wool over my eyes?

'No, seriously, Dawn, I _am_ telling you the truth. I could be in for some mega grief if the people looking for me catch up with me.' He thought it wise not to mention that it was the police who were hunting for him in connection with one or more murder enquiries. That kind of stuff tended to scare the shit out of women in his experience. 'I could really do with keeping a low profile for a few days until the heat is off. They won't be looking for me for ever. They'll give up after a while if they don't find me. They'll just think I've done a runner and skipped town like a complete coward.'

'So why haven't you got out of town already? If these men really have got it in for you like you say, how come you're still here, Cook? You don't seem much like a coward to me but…..well, I don't think you're stupid either. Why hand around and run the risk of being tracked down.'

Dawn sat down next to Cook and looked dubiously into Cook's eyes, albeit with far less anger and annoyance than she had displayed at the beginning of their exchanges. He might well turn out to be a complete and utter shit, a selfish, womanising rogue and a thoroughly bad apple of the worst order and yet there was something about this man whom she had met less than twenty-four hours ago that intrigued and fascinated her. He had an aura about him that was strangely compelling and he exuded an air of mystery and excitement that suggested he led a charmed life that was never routine, tedious or predictable unlike her own thoroughly normal, uncomplicated and depressingly unsatisfying existence. Looking deep into Cook's eyes that seemed to be smiling at her as he took a little time to consider her last question, Dawn guessed that being part of Cook's life would most likely be maddening, frustrating, eventful, frightening and thrilling. He would doubtless drag any woman kicking and screaming along a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences, not all of them pleasant for sure, but ultimately that woman would feel as though she had lived a full life however short a time they had spent together. But she wondered how many broken hearts, shattered egos and damaged goods he had left behind trailing in his wake. Quite a few, she thought, with a rueful half smile.

'I have to hang around Oxford for a little while longer,' Cook replied, his eyes no longer seeming to smile. 'A friend of mine here is in trouble. I need to see her and speak to her. We've got some unfinished business to sort out. Then I can get the hell out of this place.'

'Her, you say? Another one of your fleeting conquests, I suppose? Did you lie your way into her bed as well?'

Cook shook his head solemnly. 'No. We…..we go back a long way. We were at college together. We've been friends for years but we lost touch. Now I've found her again I need to tell her something important. I'm just waiting for the right moment.'

Dawn was struck by the note of sadness in Cook's voice and the genuine concern he seemed to be showing for this woman, whoever she was, that was obviously causing him to take a chance with his own personal safety. She must have been special to him once, she thought, as she contemplated her next move. Should she throw him out or let him stay a little longer? Would his continuing presence in her flat lead her into possible danger which she could well do without or might life with Cook bring a bit of welcome and much needed fun and excitement into her hitherto drab and dreary life? This was a big decision for her to make and not one to be taken lightly or rushed into.

True to her previous form in such tricky circumstances she decided to think it over during dinner which she promptly offered to rustle up for a grateful and hungry Cook who was relieved she wasn't showing him the front door, or at least not right away. He still had time to work the old magic and charm the pants off her, perhaps literally, over an intimate dinner for two. Maybe she even had some candles tucked away which could be brought out and lit with a view to creating a romantic atmosphere! But before that he had an important call to make and so while Dawn busied herself in the kitchen preparing their meal Cook took himself off into a quiet corner and made his phone call in hushed tones that bordered on a whisper. His mind was working overtime as he plotted a scenario which would enable him to unburden his conscience and begin the process of finally moving on with his life and leaving his ghosts behind.

**PART 5**

'We're all going over to the hospital to visit Effy after dinner, right?' said Emily in an insistent tone that clearly was not intended to countenance any argument on the matter.

'Yeah, of course,' nodded Naomi who had been distractedly picking at her food for some time without having made any significant inroads into the spaghetti Bolognese that Emily had quickly produced for the three of them. She glanced quickly at Katie, silently praying that she wouldn't express any reluctance to go with them. Naomi knew such an attitude would only upset her girlfriend and kick start another awkward scene between the three of them which the blonde was desperate to avoid. She held her breath in anticipation but her suspicions proved to be unfounded as Katie complied meekly and readily with her twin sister's request.

'How was your afternoon?' asked Emily in a concerted effort to break the unnatural silence that had hung uncomfortably over the table since dinner had been served. Naomi and Katie looked at each other hesitantly, as if each was waiting for the other to speak first and set the tone for the conversation before Naomi took the plunge and replied.

'Oh, you know, fine. Had a good tutorial with Ellie. She thinks the thesis is shaping up really well. The end is almost in sight now, thank God!'

'Great!' said Emily with a reassuring smile. 'How about you, Katie? I hope you weren't too bored hanging around for Naoms. What did you do to pass the time?'

Naomi's heart was in her mouth as she waited for Katie's reply and she forced herself to fill her mouth with spaghetti and eat to cover up her sudden anxiety.

'Oh, I went for a stroll in the college grounds. There are some really interesting little spots there, you know. Quite secluded and peaceful, you can really take yourself away from all the noise and all the people and juts relax and let yourself go. Until some arsehole comes along and spoils it, that is.'

'Well, that's the problem with a place like uni, you're never left in peace for very long,' said Naomi hastily, fearful that Katie might be tempted to move away from the vague to the specific and arouse Emily's suspicions. 'The grounds are beautiful but you rarely get the chance to enjoy them without a whole crowd of students turning up and gate crashing your private party.'

'Yeah, I know what you mean. That can be really irritating. Just when you thought you were having a bit of fun for a change, some nosy busybody of an arsewipe turns up to screw things up.' Katie looked across at the two girls, gave a resigned shrug of the shoulders and let out a weary sigh.

'What do you mean?' Emily stopped eating and fixed Katie with a penetrative, anxious stare. Naomi looked across the table and pleaded with her eyes to Katie to shut the fuck up about the afternoon's events like she had promised on the way home.

'Oh, nothing. I'm just being a bit melodramatic, that's all,' said Katie, smiling back at the two girls who were gazing across at her with very different thoughts in their heads. 'I was just having a lovely little doze in a quiet corner of the grounds when Naomi came along and woke me up. I was really dead to the world and I suppose being shaken out of it like that really pissed me off at the time.'

'I said I was sorry, Katie, I didn't know you were fast asleep. I thought you were just resting.' Naomi eagerly accepted the unexpected opportunity afforded her by Katie to embellish the lie that the twin had made up on the spur of the moment. Katie murmured an acknowledgement of Naomi's apology and the conversation moved on, much to the blonde's relief to Effy and the possible improvement in her condition since the previous night. Within half an hour the three girls were on their way to the hospital and peace and harmony had appeared to break out amongst them. The atmosphere was less strained as Emily endeavoured to raise all their spirits by being optimistic that Effy might have regained consciousness during the day and that they could look forward to talking to her for a little while during their visit.

**PART 6**

Lewis responded to the sound of his mobile ringing with a cry of exasperation. He was worn out after a long day of heavy travelling and interviewing of suspects and had been longing for the comfort of his own home where he could relax and unwind and mull over the results of his and Hathaway's enquiries with a glass of wine and a takeaway. His mood softened somewhat when he saw who was calling him.

'Laura,' he said, finding a note of energy and pleasure which had been sadly lacking a few seconds ago. 'To what do I owe the pleasure of you calling at this time of day? You're not still working, are you?

'God no, I finished ages ago. No, it's just that I was sitting here in my little house, all on my own, not knowing what to do and wondering why I was feeling so alone and bored and I suddenly thought why don't I call Robbie and see if he fancied sharing my loneliness and boredom with me.'

Lewis broke out into a grin as he conjured up the unlikely picture of Laura sprawled out on the sofa at home, stuck for things to do or people to see. Nevertheless he couldn't hide his happiness that she had chosen him to turn to in her hour of need rather than any of her many other friends and acquaintances. 'That sounds like a good idea – if you're quite sure, that is. I doubt I'll be great company, though. I'm exhausted, hungry and brain dead right now.'

'We sound like a perfect match, then,' said Laura laughing down the phone. 'We can feed off each other's misery and disillusionment and cheer ourselves up no end!'

'What did you have in mind for this festival of fun and frivolity?'

'Well, how about a few drinks and some grub in our favourite pub out in the countryside?' said Laura, confident that Robbie wouldn't turn down such an inviting suggestion.

'Sounds good to me. Shall I pick you up in say, half an hour?

'No, let me drive this time. You always do the driving. It's my turn to let you have a few drinks.'

'No, you're all right, Laura, honestly. After the last time I think I had better go easy on the booze. Look what it did to me then. I was no good for anything, was I?'

Laura giggled at the memory of their last evening together and was grateful that Robbie couldn't see her blush. 'Okay, you win – this time. But definitely next time I'll drive. I'm going to insist on that.'

'Maybe you should wait and see how this evening turns out first. After the day I've had and the mood I'm in I might just put you off wanting to go for a drink with me ever again!' Lewis didn't have to wait long to hear Laura's protestations and he was beaming from ear to ear as he turned his phone off and looked forward to spending the evening with the one person he knew who could make all his troubles and problems go away with a simple word, look or gesture.

**PART 7**

Smiles of relief and happiness spread across the faces of all three girls as they listened to the update that the doctor was giving them before they went in to see Effy. She had regained consciousness earlier on in the day and was even talking, if a little slowly and hesitantly. She had responded well to all the questions they had put to her, had showed no signs of having suffered any significant memory loss and the doctor's initial fears of the possibility of brain damage seemed to have been allayed.

'That's brilliant news!" cried Emily and Naomi, almost in unison and even Katie was moved to break out in smiles and the three girls had an instant, spontaneous group huddle in the corridor to the obvious amusement of the doctor.

'Can we go and see her right now?' asked Emily to which the doctor nodded but added a note of caution.

'No more than five minutes, please, if you are all going in together. She is still in a very delicate situation and we don't want her tired out. She needs as much rest as possible.'

The girls readily accepted the doctor's instructions and hurried on down the corridor, almost breaking out into a little dance of delight before they came to a halt outside Effy's room and Emily quietly turned the door handle and led the others inside. The sight that greeted them was not what they were expecting as they found themselves staring in bewilderment and dismay at an empty bed, the bedclothes having been untidily turned back and no sign of Effy anywhere to be seen. They stood in stunned silence, their joy and excitement of a couple of minutes ago having vanished as easily as it had arrived, and desperately searched all four corners of the room for a clue or an explanation as to where their friend could possibly have disappeared to.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

My continuing thanks must go to Anony-Mouse for your latest kind review. If anyone else has any comments to make about this fanfic, be they good or bad (yes, seriously!) then I would be delighted to hear from you. All constructive criticism will be very gratefully received and digested.


	32. Chapter 32

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Sgt. Hathaway learns more about the Martin family whilst taking afternoon tea with one of their neighbours. Lewis witnesses a tearful Jenny Martin leaving Mrs Wells' house and discovers that the two women have known each other for many years when Mrs Wells used to give a teenage Jenny private tuition. Naomi manages to persuade Katie to keep quiet about her exploits with Sammy and not upset Emily any further. Cook spins Dawn a story to cover up the real reason for his need to lie low but admits he has to sort out some unfinished business with Effy before leaving Oxford. Dr Hobson cheers up a weary Lewis by inviting him out for a night at their favourite pub. When the three girls turn up at the hospital to visit Effy they discover she has disappeared from her bed without a trace.

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

**PART 1**

'I'm just popping outside for a smoke, babes,' said Cook, waving a packet of fags in the air at Dawn by way of an explanation. She had given him a fearful bollocking on her return for polluting her nice, clean, fragrant flat with his filthy habit so it was a convenient excuse for him to be on his own for a bit without attracting any undue suspicion. 'Seeing as you don't want me smoking in here any more.'

'If you must,' said Dawn with a grimace. 'But you needn't think you're going to be kissing me later on if your mouth tastes like a bloody ashtray.'

'Don't you worry about that, sweetheart. These super-strong mints should take care of everything,' he smiled, showing her a packet of extra-strong mints which he had taken out from his coat pocket. 'My tongue will be tickling your tonsils and licking your gums clean better than any spearmint toothpaste, I can promise you.'

'You really do suffer from an appalling lack of self-confidence, don't you, Cook?' Dawn tried hard not to laugh but failed miserably. 'Does it work on _every _girl you meet? Or am I just particularly gullible and naïve?'

'No,' Cook replied after a moment's hesitation, 'you're no more of a pushover than any of the others were. Come on, babe, admit it, you women like a man with a bit of bravado, a bit of arrogance. You like a man with balls, don't you, rather than a limp dick.'

'What about this friend you mentioned, the one you said was in trouble, the one who needed your help? Did she fall for all that bullshit as well?'

Cook shook his head solemnly as he called to mind with a degree of nostalgia and wistfulness which took him a little bit by surprise Effy's supreme confidence in her own mesmeric charms, her ability to wrap guys round her little finger and her hidden vulnerability which captivated just about every boy she met and led them to make a complete idiot of themselves over her.

'No, she was way too smart, way too foxy to be taken in by any of that bollocks. She could see through any stunt you tried to pull. She could read you like a book.'

'She sounds dangerous, Cook. I'm surprised she hasn't already eaten you alive.'

'She did, babes, many times. Luckily for me she always spat me out afterwards.'

Cook winked and flashed her one of his cheeky, heart-warming grins before disappearing out of the door, leaving Dawn to clear the table with a scream of frustration as she recalled him promising to do his bit and clear up after eating dinner. She suspected he had successfully managed to avoid doing any domestic chores throughout his entire life. He probably just turned on the charm and the bullshit at the appropriate time and then calmly fucked off and left the girl to clear up after him. Well, not any more with me, you don't, she thought, as she started loading the plates into the dishwasher. If you're looking for a new slave, Cook, you can jog right on.

**PART 2**

'I can't believe you don't know where she is!' cried Emily in stunned disbelief as she glared furiously at the acutely embarrassed doctor while the three girls stood in the nurses' office and demanded explanations and immediate action over Effy's disappearing act.

'Effy was _your _patient, she was _your_ responsibility, for Christ's sake!' Naomi added, noting the doctor's increasingly squirming discomfort and not giving a flying fuck about the pressure she was putting him and the rest of the hospital staff under. 'You lot were supposed to be looking after her, keeping her safe and helping her to get better. How the hell can you stand there and tell us you don't know what's happened to her? This is unbelievable!'

'We can't stop a patient from leaving if they want to,' said the doctor, desperately trying to cover his arse and that of the hospital whilst at the same time showing the appropriate concern for Effy's welfare and empathy for the girls' feelings about what had happened.

'What? So she's discharged herself, has she?' asked Katie who was secretly quite enjoying watching the doctor get so flustered and nervous under their concerted pressure and thought it was about time to stick the boot in and really kick the man when he was down. 'Is that what your records show?'

The doctor exchanged a quick, beseeching glance with the ward nurse who was standing next to him but she shook her head silently. 'Um…..I'm afraid it would appear not.'

'So what you're saying is you've lost her,' Emily said accusingly with a face like thunder. For the moment her anger and disbelief at the hospital's incompetence was covering up the growing despair and sick dread she was feeling that something terrible must have happened to their friend for her to have vanished so suddenly and so soon after having finally regained consciousness.

'I can assure you we're doing everything we can to find her. If she is still in the hospital or in the grounds anywhere I can promise you we'll find her and get her back to her bed.'

'You'd better,' said Naomi, raising her voice menacingly and glowering at the poor helpless doctor so fiercely that the sweat was beginning to form on his brow and threaten to trickle down the side of his nervously twitching face, 'otherwise we might just have to think seriously about consulting our solicitors.'

'Solicitors?' exclaimed the doctor, aghast at the mere mention of the possibility of legal proceedings being brought against the hospital.

'Oh, yes,' said Naomi, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of her firmly set lips. 'This could very well be a clear case of medical negligence. We might have to give your Uncle Roger a ring, girls. He's a top-notch barrister, isn't he?'

'Oh my God, yes, of course!' nodded Katie enthusiastically, quick to follow Naomi's lead in piling more misery and woe on the unfortunate medic. 'Good old Uncle Roger! He'll soon sort this place out. He'll have it closed in a week.'

'Don't they call him Roger the Rottweiler, Katie?'

'They sure do, Naomi. He's never lost a negligence case if my memory serves me right.' Emily looked at Naomi and Katie in bewildered silence. She couldn't understand how they could both be having a huge joke at the doctor's expense at a time like this. Sure, it looked like the hospital had screwed up big time but now was not the time to be making up stories of revenge and retribution.

'Actually I wouldn't be at all surprised if there could even be a criminal case to answer for if something happens to Effy now.' Naomi's deadpan expression masked her enjoyment at putting the fear of God into the young doctor. This latest threat was just about the cherry on the icing on the cake and Katie was struggling to keep a straight face.

'Criminal…Oh my…oh my God!' stuttered the now terrified doctor and he looked panic-stricken at the nurse alongside him. For one split second the three girls thought his legs were going to give way beneath him and that he might collapse onto the floor in abject terror at being arrested for the heinous offence of failing to keep a hospital patient under twenty-four hour lock and key.

'Look, I just want Effy to be found safe and sound,' pleaded Emily mournfully. 'I don't want any stupid solicitors involved. Just get out there and find her! Please!'

'She can't have gone far,' the nurse said in an attempt to diffuse the situation and calm down the girls whom she could see were angry, upset and worried, with good reason, she acknowledged. 'She was definitely in her room only fifteen minutes ago. I looked in on her briefly and she seemed to be asleep. Mind you…..'

'What?' said Naomi, quickly pouncing on the nurse's thoughtful hesitation.

'Well, I can't be certain but…well, I _thought_ I heard a phone ring as I was closing the door. It was very faint, almost distant so…. I guess I thought it was coming from another direction but I suppose it could have been…'

'Her mobile ringing, you mean,' said Emily, finishing off the nurse's sentence for her. The nurse nodded before she and the doctor left the three girls alone and went off to find out what was happening with the search for their missing critically ill patient.

'Which fucking arsehole could have rung her up and persuaded her to leave her bed in her condition?' Katie posed the question that was in all of their heads and left it hanging in the air for a while as they ran through all the people who could have had that kind of hold over Effy.

'Sgt Hathaway?' suggested Emily but her tone betrayed the lack of conviction in her answer.

'He's a copper, Ems,' replied Naomi. 'His job is to protect us from the head cases. He's not in the business of luring sick, vulnerable, frightened women out of their hospital bed. Besides, he fancies Effy too much to do something like that.'

'No he doesn't!' protested Katie defiantly. 'He's definitely more interested in me. He's just…..waiting for the right time to let her down gently, that's all.'

'Oh come on, guys! We all know it could only be one person, don't we?' said Naomi fixing a grim expression on the other two girls. Emily and Katie looked at each other in baffled silence for a few seconds before the penny dropped and all three of them uttered in unison with a tone of weary resignation 'Cook!'

'If Effy dies because of whatever that bastard's done, I'll fucking kill him,' said Naomi as the three of them left the nurse's room and began walking anxiously yet briskly down the corridor, heading for the hospital entrance.

'Not if I get to him first, you won't,' promised Emily through gritted teeth as she searched for Cook's number on her mobile and, having found it, pressed the call button. The others did likewise on their phones but all three of them drew a blank. Clearly Cook wasn't picking up his calls at that moment, being otherwise engaged on far more important business which for once didn't involve screwing some random girl or taking part in some form of dodgy criminal activity.

**PART 3**

Laura Hobson smiled warmly and nodded encouragement at Lewis as he gestured to pour more wine into her glass. After filling Laura's glass halfway up he poured the remains of the bottle into his own empty glass and raised it towards Laura who reciprocated as they toasted each other with a simple 'Cheers'.

'Thanks for suggesting tonight, Laura. I needed something like this to cheer me up.'

Laura gave Robbie a sympathetic look as she sipped at her wine. She thought he seemed unusually tired and drawn that evening, more so than normal. 'Bad day at the office, then? Still not making much headway with the case?'

'Oh, it's not just that. Although you're right, we're still getting nowhere fast. No, it's more than just work. It was a conversation I had today with one of the murder victim's relatives. I came away feeling…..'

Lewis hesitated, unsure whether this was the right time and place to come clean to Laura about how lonely he was feeling, how much he needed someone in his life again to give him a happy and fulfilling relationship that he could always come home to at the end of a long, hard day's detecting. It had taken him years to accept that Val was gone forever and that eventually he would have to move on and start living properly again, preferably not alone but with someone new who would make him happy like Val and the kids used to do so perfectly. He knew beyond all reasonable doubt- he laughed inwardly as that familiar expression from work popped up into his head- that the only woman whom he truly believed could make him happy once more was Laura but he was terrified that she didn't feel the same way about him, despite all the encouraging things she had said to him in recent years. It was as if he was afraid to believe his own ears and eyes in case they had been playing a wicked trick on him.

'Feeling what, Robbie?' whispered Laura as she leant forward and ever so lightly placed her free hand on Robbie's as it lay gently resting on the middle of the table.

'Oh! I'm just being silly and sentimental, I expect. Tired and over-emotional, Innocent would probably call it.'

'I don't care what the Chief-Super calls it,' said Laura with a scornful expression. 'I want to know what _you're_ feeling, Robbie. Tell me…please. I'm…I'm worried about you.'

Lewis blew out his cheeks and told the doctor about his interview with Mrs Wells and how her comments had made him think of the kids and the fact that he was still living all alone at home with nobody else to share his life with, 'such as it is' he added with a shrug of the shoulders and a raised eyebrow. His typically self-deprecating quip made Laura smile ruefully at him despite the genuine concern she was feeling for his well-being.

'Well, I guess it just hit me hard that all I had to go back home to at the end of every day was an empty house. Now that the kids are gone I'm left with nothing but my own company. And I can tell you, I'm getting more than a bit fed up and bored with me. I might have to kick myself out of the house pretty soon if I don't lighten up and be a lot more fun to be with.'

He looked across at Laura with eyes that hinted at painful sadness and yet the corners of his mouth betrayed his typical wry Geordie humour, a combination that would have melted the stoniest heart of even the sternest of women. Being the proud owner of neither a stony heart nor a stern nature, Laura struggled hard not to shed a few tears and pressed her lips together firmly to control her wavering emotions.

'You're not all alone, Robbie. You've got friends, lots of friends, good ones too. Everybody likes you, you must know that.'

Lewis looked into Laura's reassuring eyes and felt her squeeze his hand as if to emphasise her message of unconditional support and loyalty. Oh, I've got plenty of colleagues and acquaintances who I get on well with, I don't doubt that. We have a laugh and a joke from time to time in between all the dead bodies, the endless questions and answers, the horror and the human tragedy that we have to work with every day. But… how many of them are really friends, Laura? How many would you want to spend time with outside of work, away from all the terrible stuff we have to deal with and which is the only thing that brings us together every day?'

Laura's face dropped gradually as she listened to Lewis's impassioned little speech that for all its undeniable truth presented a picture that filled her with as much personal despair and sadness as she had known for a long time. She stayed silent looking down at the table where she was still holding on to Robbie's hand despite a sudden urge to let go of it. Lewis must have detected a microscopic change in the pressure exerted by Laura's hand on his as he stared hard at her for an instant before the full meaning of what he had just said suddenly hit home with a vengeance.

'Oh, God, Laura! Not you! I didn't mean you! You're a real friend, a true friend, probably the only one I have. You're the last person in the world I'd want to be without in my life.'

Laura let out a huge sigh of relief and beamed at Robbie through the thinnest of veils of tears as she searched for the right words to express her gratitude and her joy.

'I'm glad to hear it, Robbie. I was beginning to wonder what I'd done to be relegated from long standing close friend to work colleague or acquaintance.' The ghastly face Laura pulled when uttering the word 'acquaintance' showed what little store she placed on such a description of a relationship. 'I think I'd rather be someone's sworn enemy than be thought of as a mere acquaintance. At least you'd be missed by your worst enemy, if only because they'd have to find someone else to hate when you're gone!'

Lewis chuckled at Laura's somewhat warped argument and squeezed her hand back. They stared at each other in uncertain silence for a while, neither knowing whose turn it was to take the conversation on a step further. Eventually Laura took the plunge.

'You know, Robbie, you're not the only one who feels desperately sad going back to an empty home every night.'

'But _you_ have got friends, Laura. You're not a boring old stick-in-the-mud like me. You have hobbies, you belong to groups, clubs. You play bridge, you play in classical concerts, you have a whole range of interests that you share with friends you've known for years.'

'So have you!'

'No I haven't'.

Laura was up for the challenge that Robbie had set her. 'You've got your football, haven't you?'

'Yeah, I watch it on the TV, at home, on my own. Not with a whole group of rowdy footy mates knocking back cans of lager.'

'Well, why don't you invite James round one evening to watch a game with you?'

Lewis roared with laughter. 'James? Watch football? You _are_ joking, aren't you? He's into posh sports like rowing. He plays chess for God's sake!' Football's a working class game. It's not intellectually stimulating enough for his sophisticated mind. Football's for working class old farts like me, not Cambridge-educated theology graduates like him.'

'What, jumpers for goalposts, small boys in the park, rush goalie, that sort of thing, you mean?' Laura exchanged spontaneous sniggers with Robbie as her references to the comic creation Ron Manager's favourite expressions demonstrated he might have a point. 'Okay, what about gardening? You like pottering about in the garden, don't you? You even had your own allotment at one time, didn't you?'

'Yeah, for about a week! Then I gave it up! I wasn't ready to be that old.'

'Okay but it's still a hobby, Robbie,' but she couldn't go any further as they both burst out laughing at her wholly unintentional alliteration.

'Well, look, why don't you come back to my place afterwards for coffee and we'll put our heads together and see what we can come up with to solve your terrible feelings of loneliness.'

'I'm not asking for pity, Laura,' said Lewis with a wry grin as he polished off the rest of his wine. 'And you've get better things to do with your time than worry about me.'

'I want to help because I care about you, Robbie, not because I pity you. And I'll be the judge of how I spend my free time. If I want to spend it with a kind, caring, funny, loyal, intelligent Detective Inspector who I've known for years and whose only crime is to feel as lonely as me, then I reserve the right to do so, okay? Clear enough?'

Lewis's face broke out into a broad grin as he accepted the compliments that Laura had showered on him with a noticeable degree of shyness and embarrassment even though her words made him feel really good inside. 'Crystal clear,' he nodded as he gestured with his head to make a move outside to the car and the journey back home.

-.

**PART 4**

James Hathaway had responded quickly to Emily's call for help and within ten minutes he had joined the girls who were waiting for him in the hospital reception area that was unusually busy for that time of the evening. They filled him in on Effy's sudden disappearing act and waited for him to spring into action and come to their rescue.

'Please, James,' said Emily tearfully, 'we need to find her fast. She's still very ill and God knows what might happen to her if she isn't found soon and brought back here.'

Hathaway nodded thoughtfully and got up from his chair. 'You girls stay here. I'll make some enquiries.' He was as worried as they were and agreed with their supposition that Effy might well have been lured away from her hospital bed by a call from Cook. He cursed his failure to have collared Cook at their last meeting at the hospital and was already blaming himself in no small measure for the young woman's current predicament. He went outside and called up the station to report Effy missing, giving the desk sergeant a brief description of her and suggesting reports went out to all beat officers to be on the look-out for any young woman answering to her description, either alone or in the company of a young man in his early twenties, in or around the area of the hospital. He then went over to the taxi rank and made a few enquiries of all of the cabs parked there waiting for fares and to his surprise and relief found he was in luck. A cabbie had just come back from picking up a young woman outside the hospital entrance who matched Effy's description and dropping her off at an address on the other side of town. He got the details and hurried back inside to update the girls on his good fortune.

'Brilliant!' cried Naomi and all three girls rose as one, smiles of blessed relief etched all over their faces. 'Come on, let's get over there.'

'No, I'll go and get her back. You three stay here. Better still, why don't you all go home and wait for me to call you with any news,' insisted Hathaway in firm, yet sympathetic tones as he recognised the disappointment and hurt in their eyes at being dismissed like naughty schoolgirls.

'James!' cried Emily, 'This is our friend we're talking about! We can't just sit at home and not do anything.'

'Besides, if you do find her she'll probably be cold, frightened, weak and confused,' added Naomi, staring Hathaway straight in the eyes with a grimly determined look that told the sergeant she wasn't going to be fobbed off with any sensible, rational police excuses. 'She'll need us there to comfort her, to show her she's safe once more. She trusts us, James. On your own you might just frighten her away again.'

Hathaway hesitated a while, considering the strength of Naomi's argument whilst the three girls fixed their respective sets of big eyes on him, each imploring him to let them come with him. In normal circumstances this would have been highly irregular and certainly would not have been found in the police handbook but time was of the essence and he wasn't in the mood for an awkward scene with three highly emotional and strong-willed young women in a busy hospital reception area.

'Come on then, if you must' he replied with a weary shrug of his shoulders and the girls gleefully followed him out of the building and over towards where he had parked his car. 'But you stay in the car when we get there, do you hear me? Under no circumstances do you get out of the car until I come back, with or without Effy. Do I make myself clear?'

The girls readily bowed to his authority and got into the car, much relieved that someone had at last taken proper control of the situation and praying that they were not too late already to get to Effy before her condition worsened. They exchanged anxious glances as Hathaway put his foot down and sped away from the hospital and Emily and Naomi, sitting together in the back, instinctively linked hands and held on to each other tightly for mutual reassurance and comfort.

**PART 5**

The tall willowy figure in the long, dark raincoat and the flat cap hunched forward over the open boot of the car and, with a low grunt, pulled the seemingly lifeless body out of the boot and let it drop to the ground with a thud where it remained motionless. The figure then went round to the rear left door, opened it and pulled out an ordinary garden spade from the back seat before closing the door again and returning to the car boot and the body on the ground.

The car had been parked right on the edge of the woods, as far in from the road as it could possibly be driven before coming up against the border of trees after which no more progress could be safely made. Nonchalantly holding the spade over its left shoulder with the left hand the figure bent down and grabbed the body by the scruff of its collar with a firm right hand and unceremoniously yet slightly unsteadily dragged it inch by inch, step by step into the woods until soon both of them were completely out of sight from the road.

The body had been dragged over a distance of some thirty metres over rough, hard terrain comprising grass, leaves, stones, twigs, and all manner of other common types of flora that one would expect to find in your average stretch of suburban woodland. Consequently the painfully rough and ready treatment exacted on the body had served to rouse the victim from its state of unconsciousness and the cap wearer was momentarily disconcerted and irritated to hear low sounds of groaning and moaning from down below. The tall figure stopped abruptly, letting go of its victim from the vice-like grip it had on it and turned round to contemplate the twitching, writhing gasping body at its feet with a, coldly malevolent eye.

A few well-judged, viciously delivered kicks from the hard toe-cap of a wellington boot in the region of the kidneys and the lower groin were all that were required to silence the victim's despairing and utterly pointless cries for help and render him unconscious once again. With its victim no longer capable of disturbing our assailant's inner calm, peace of mind and resolute purposefulness, the car driver dragged the limp, motionless body a few feet further until the chosen spot was reached.

Once there, the body was released back to the ground and the spade was brought immediately into play as the tall figure began assiduously to work on digging out a hole in the wet, muddy ground large enough to comfortably house a six foot tall human being. The digger worked with intense concentration and great economy of effort such that within ten minutes a suitable hole had been created fit for purpose. Less than a minute later the limp and unconscious body, no longer whimpering and moaning but still very much and alive and breathing, was dragged, kicked and finally pushed down into the hole. The final heavy, dull thud made as the unfortunate victim smacked down onto the bottom of the hole brought a particularly chilling, self- satisfied smirk to the face of his assailant who wasted little time in standing around admiring their handiwork but swiftly got on with shovelling the dug up earth back down where it came from with a steady calmness and a scary ruthlessness that was frightening in its intensity.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

I know it's been a hell of a long time since my last chapter for which I sincerely apologise to those of you who are still following the story and were wondering what the f*** was going on! Real life keeps getting in the way, I'm afraid, but I am so very grateful to those of you who haven't given up on me entirely just yet and have waited patiently for the next instalment. Those of you who haven't been so patient but are still tuning in nonetheless, I thank you also.

Hopefully you are still intrigued about the events of the latest instalment. Whose body was being buried and who could the tall, willowy figure be doing the spadework? Will Lewis and Laura actually get it on at last or will the inspector merely settle for taking down the good doctor's particulars? Has Cook got a threesome with Effy and Dawn in mind or is he intent on achieving a rather nobler mission? Some, fewer or none of these questions may all be revealed in the ensuing chapters so fasten your seatbelts and hang on tight as I endeavour to put my foot down and step on the gas.

P.S. Anony-Mouse & Covert Fan – is there any chance of you making yourselves available to receive messages? I'd love the chance to thank you both for your reviews personally rather than via my footnotes!


	33. Chapter 33

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Cook leaves Dawn's flat ostensibly to have a smoke but leaving the young doctor suspicious of his motives. The twins and Naomi give the hospital staff serious grief over their failure to keep a close eye on Effy following their discovery of their friend's disappearance. During an evening together at the pub Laura Hobson promises to help DI Lewis to find a new hobby to help him make new friends and eradicate his feelings of loneliness. Sgt Hathaway responds to a plea from the girls to help them find Effy and he drives them to an address on the other side of town where he believes Effy has been taken by taxi. An unknown figure drags an unconscious male out of a car and into a wood and proceeds to dig a hole in which to bury alive the unfortunate victim.

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

**PART 1**

Effy had been crying her eyes out for some ten minutes now with Cook's powerful arms comfortingly wrapped around her and yet she had only scratched the surface of her overwhelming grief. The two of them were perched on a wall near the garages at the back of the block of flats where Dawn lived. It wasn't exactly the ideal spot that Cook had in mind to break the shattering secret of Freddie's brutal murder to a disbelieving Effy but he was hardly in a position to pick and choose the prefect backdrop to such a monumental confession, so long kept secret and with such a heavy heart.

Of course she hadn't believed him at first. He had expected that, though. Worse, she had accused him of being involved in Freddie's disappearance and when he had slowly and painfully described the events of that fateful night all those years ago she had reacted in the worst possible way he could have imagined. Tears flowed, in abundance, huge teardrops cascading down her cheeks like a waterfall, pouring out from hollow, sunken, black eyes, accompanied by screams of despair which rang out in the night like the howling of suburban foxes. But it was the sudden flurry of blows which rained down upon his head and his upper body, punches, slaps, wildly swinging arms that caught him by surprise and rendered him speechless for a good few seconds. But he knew he had to show restraint and understanding and take his punishment, for punishment it certainly was. Not for being responsible for Freddie's untimely death – he knew Effy couldn't really think him capable of being involved in the murder of his best friend – but for keeping the grisly details such a dark secret from her for so many years, for allowing her to hang on desperately to some shred of hope that one day Freddie might turn up in her life again as unexpectedly and mysteriously as he had once so completely vanished from it

Effy's sobbing had at first been hysterical, uncontrollable and, to a guilt-ridden and helpless Cook, heart-breaking to witness at such close quarters. By small degrees her tears and cries of shock and disbelief had gradually subsided to be replaced with a more contained, less hysterical expression of heartache and personal loss. Cook, showing a rare sensitive side to his nature, sought to comfort her by holding her tightly in his arms and gently stroking her hair and her face now and then, accompanied by occasional well-meaning murmurs of sympathy and reassurance. He was smart enough to know that silence was the best option in the circumstances. He told himself that Effy just needed him to be there for her without it being necessary to say very much. This was not the moment for big speeches or a few well-chosen words of incredible wisdom and depth.

'Why did you wait so long to tell me?' Effy broke the heavy, tearful silence with the question that Cook had been dreading the most. She stirred in his arms when he didn't reply and turned to look at him with accusing, puffy eyes that bore deep into his heart.

'Because I didn't know how to,' he said, knowing how lame an excuse it must have sounded, even if it was more or less the truth. 'And…I guess I was thinking more about saving my own skin than putting you out of your misery.' He quickly averted his eyes from Effy's gaze, acutely conscious of how cowardly such a confession made him appear. He was as brave as a lion when it came to facing up to any physical challenge, even one that could put his health and safety in serious danger but he had always found intense emotional confrontations called for a kind of courage that he seemed to lack. He suspected Effy was now sharing the same level of disappointment in him that he was feeling in himself even though she wasn't voicing it out loud.

'So what's changed now?'

'The bodies have been found. It's only a matter of time before they catch up with me if I stick around. I've got to go into hiding- for good, this time.'

'The police seem to think you might have had something to do with these murders in Oxford, you know. Did you?'

Effy looked at Cook with a confused, bewildered expression. Could the guy she had known since college who had avenged Freddie's brutal murder with a wild, vicious yet perfectly understandable retaliation of his own really be a serial murderer doing the rounds of Oxford? She found it hard to believe the Cook she knew could be capable of such seemingly random acts of horrific mutilation.

'Of course not, Effy. Why would I want to kill a whole load of people I'd never even met? They're just looking to pin it on me coz they haven't been able to nail down the real killer.' His denial, delivered in calm, unemotional tones, carried the weight of truth about it and a much relieved Effy sank back into his arms again as vivid memories of Freddie came flooding back into her head that for the last couple of years had been submerged under a sea of uncertainties, doubts and suspicions.

'What are you going to do? Where are you going to go?'

Good questions, thought Cook and he fervently wished he knew the answers. 'Dunno. Far away from Bristol, that's for sure. I'll probably have to shoot off abroad again somewhere – for good, this time.'

'Shame you were rubbish at French in school, then. You could have made a new life for yourself in some sleepy little French fishing village or hidden away out in the French countryside.'

'Oui,' nodded Cook with a rueful smile, using up his entire French vocabulary in one go.

'So, I'm never going to see you again, then? I'm going to lose you for ever as well?'

Effy started sniffing loudly and Cook squeezed her hard in his arms and softly kissed the top of her head as he searched for a few words of comfort that might stem the renewed flow of tears.

'It's for the best, kiddo. I'm bad news. You need to get on with your life, you need to start afresh and put me and Freds well behind you. You won't be able to do that with me hanging round in the background the whole time.'

'And where will I go, Cook? What will I do? You got any clever answers to that?'

'Stay with the girls. They'll look after you, they'll help you to find a new life for yourself. You'll never be alone if you stick with them. You'll be safer with them than you'll ever be with me.'

A stiff breeze blew across their faces as they snuggled up to each other for warmth, perched uncomfortably on the wall, but neither of them seemed to notice or feel the damp coldness of the night. They were too wrapped up in their own private thoughts of Freddie and memories of much happier times together, mixed up with genuine anxieties about their uncertain but far from promising futures.

**PART 2**

Lewis stretched out a hand and took the mug of coffee that Laura held out for him with a smile. He murmured a word of thanks and quickly took a preliminary sip before breaking out into a grin as the unmistakeable taste of the malt whisky that Laura had mischievously added on his nod of approval hit the back of his throat and gave him a warm glow inside.

'Now that's what I call a cup of coffee,' he said with a playful wink at Laura who carried her mug over to the sofa and sat down next to Robbie, pressing herself right up against him so that their sides were touching. He made no attempt to move away from her which Laura was pleased to take as a sign of gentle encouragement.

'I often have a quick tot before going to bed,' explained Laura. 'It helps me relax after a long, hard day. Banishes the images of dead bodies, blood and guts.'

'Well, it's not always easy to sleep peacefully in our line of work. Still, this should do the trick, I reckon.'

'I'm not trying to knock you out, Robbie,' Laura said, only half suppressing a smile. 'We've got things to talk about, remember?' Lewis gave the doctor a quizzical look as he continued to drink his coffee and enjoy the comforting warmth of Laura's body leaning hard against his own. The sweet, intoxicating scent of her perfume, though not in any way excessive, filled his nostrils with a delightful aroma that sent a tiny shiver up his spine and he began to wonder if Laura was skilfully weaving a spell on him. Her very feminine charms, of which he recognised she possessed many, seemed to be bearing down on him from all angles and he was conscious that he might soon be powerless to resist them. Not that he was at all sure he wanted to. Not tonight. Not any more.

'Hobbies. We were going to think up a few hobbies and interests outside of work for you, remember?'

'Ah yes, of course,' Lewis acknowledged with an expression of whimsical curiosity. 'What sort of things did you have in mind?' This could be amusing, he thought. He wasn't one of life's natural game players or club members. He was intrigued to see what sort of pastimes Laura would suggest might befit a man of his solitary, introverted, suspicious nature.

'Well, how about I teach you to play bridge?'

'Bridge? Me? Are you sure you're not confusing me with James Hathaway?

Oh, come on Robbie! Don't give me that working-class nonsense again. It's not a posh man's game, you know. All sorts of people play it. Besides, when you've got the hang of it we can play as a team, you and I. There you are, that's at least one person you'd be playing with who isn't posh.'

Lewis grinned back at Laura who was staring deep into his eyes and daring him to contradict the logic of her argument. 'I can only just about manage to play whist. I haven't got the sharp, incisive mind for bridge. Trust me, if you're looking for a bridge partner you'd be much better off with James. He could probably fit in a few hands of bridge at the same time as giving someone a good beating at chess, knowing him.'

'I'm not interested in James, Robbie, no matter how gorgeous he may seem on the outside.' Laura leaned back a touch to observe Lewis's reaction to her last teasing remark.

'Gorgeous? Hathaway?' Lewis screwed up his face in deliberately exaggerated fashion. He realised Laura was just playfully winding up and he was in the mood to give as good as he was getting. 'I remember you calling him 'dishy' once. So he's been elevated to a state of gorgeousness, now, has he? Being young, tall, clever and well-groomed isn't everything, you know. There's still a lot to be said for mature, wise and experienced.'

'I'm sure you're right,' said Laura with a twinkle in her eyes. 'In any case, Hathaway's far too young for me. I'm looking for a partner who can be calm under pressure, measured in his approach and with a quiet steely determination to move in on the kill.'

'Are we still talking about a bridge partner?' Lewis asked with a puzzled expression as he knocked back the last remnants of his coffee nightcap.

'Possibly,' said Laura enigmatically as she pursed her lips in studied contemplation of the question. 'Would you like another nightcap?'

Lewis puffed out his cheeks and glanced slyly at his watch. It was gone eleven and he would normally be tucked up in bed at this time if he were at home. The combination of strong freshly ground Brazilian coffee and the finest Scottish malt whisky had slid down rather easily and the prospect of another one was terribly tempting. The added bonus of being both affectionately teased and subtly flattered still further by the intoxicating Laura was one he would not normally seek to turn down in a hurry. But was he ready for another stab at romance with the beautiful doctor, so soon after the last incident which had ended, albeit unintentionally, in glorious failure and disappointment all round? If he was still undecided, if there was a tiny voice in the deepest recesses of his head telling him it was still all a bit too soon to be moving on from Val, that he hadn't honoured the memory of his wonderful life with her quite enough yet, then it was just as well that Laura was able to read his mind and provide him with the answer he knew to be right but was too afraid to admit to himself.

'Tell you what Robbie. Let's forget about another nightcap. Why don't you come upstairs with me and I'll show you the basics of the game and you can see for yourself if we'd make a pretty good team or not.'

Laura rose from the sofa and held out a slightly trembling, delicately inviting hand towards Robbie who was in danger of being frozen with indecision and tortured with self-doubt. He looked up at her in silence, blushed ever so slightly and finally allowed himself to be helped up by the patiently persistent doctor and led briskly towards the stairs. Now that she had taken a huge weight off his shoulders by making the momentous decision for him, he found himself praying to God that she wasn't being serious about showing him how to play bridge.

**PART 3**

pulled up outside the block of flats where the taxi driver had told him he had dropped off the young woman answering to Effy's description and looked up at the unremarkable grey building with a pensive expression. He wasn't sure exactly how he was going to play this. Should he try softly, softly tactics with Cook and Effy if he succeeded in finding them or was the strong-arm, authoritative police approach called for here? Perhaps it would be best to play it by ear and just react to whatever the situation presented him with. The last thing he wanted to do was provoke the unstable James Cook into doing anything rash which might endanger Effy – although from all the accounts of the girls the young tearaway was extremely fond of Effy so was unlikely to put her life at risk. But he had, after all, persuaded the poor sick young woman to leave her hospital bed and meet him here so he clearly wasn't thinking terribly straight. If he really had her best interests at heart surely he would have allowed her to be nursed to full recovery from her accident first before coordinating her escape from the hospital.

'Well? Are you just going to sit here and wait for her to come out or are you actually going in to get her?' Naomi's pointedly direct question snapped Hathaway out of his silent musings and back to grim reality.

'I'm going to get her, of course,' Hathaway replied, ignoring the sharpness of Naomi's tone, opening the car door and stepping out into the road. He had no idea which flat Effy and Cook might be in, if they were in one of them at all and he didn't fancy the idea of ringing all the buzzers at the front door to see if either of them answered. As he walked across to the pavement, quickly weighing up in his head his best option Emily wound down her window and called out to him. 'Are you sure you don't want us to come with you, Sergeant? I really think we'll have a much better chance of getting Cook to let Effy come back with us than you. One look at you and he'll probably do a runner taking Effy with him.'

'Out of the question,' said Hathaway firmly and with a look at Emily that gave her not the slightest encouragement that he might change his mind. 'You girls stay exactly where you are until I come back. If either of them show up you call me immediately on my mobile. You do NOT attempt to get out of the car and approach either of them yourselves.'

'For God's sake, Cook's not dangerous!' protested Naomi with a sigh of exasperation as she leant across Emily and stuck her oar in, unable to contain her annoyance any longer. 'He's our friend. He wouldn't hurt any of us, especially not Effy.'

'You don't know that,' said Hathaway solemnly as he continued to look all around him to get his bearings on his environment and identify possible escape routes that Cook might use should the two of them come face to face. 'He's an escaped prisoner for one thing and for another he might be implicated in one or more suspicious deaths.

I repeat, stay where you are, wind the window down and lock the car doors.'

The girls reluctantly did as they were told. Naomi and Emily both flung themselves back in their seats, Emily through frustration and growing anxiety for Effy's well-being and Naomi out of red-faced resentment and embarrassment at being treated like some ten year old child by a detective-sergeant who had no idea how to deal with someone as complex and awkward as Cook.

Naomi waited impatiently in silence for a few moments, just long enough for Hathaway to disappear from view before she sat up, unlocked the car door and opened it.

'Naomi! Didn't you hear what Sgt Hathaway just said?' Katie cried.

'Naoms, please! Don't. Just stay here with us and let the sergeant do his job.' Emily blinked imploringly at her girlfriend who seemed hell bent on ignoring all sensible police advice and striking out on her own.

'Look, Sgt Hathaway's never going to persuade Cook to give himself up nice and easily and hand Effy over to him without a murmur. Come on, get real, guys! We don't know why he needed to see Effy so badly but he must have had a damn good reason. We need to get Effy back but protect Cook at the same time.'

Naomi shrugged her shoulders almost apologetically at the girls and closed the door behind, letting out an unconvincing 'I'll be all right, I promise' in her wake as she darted out into the dark, cold night leaving behind an infuriated twin and an anxious Emily.

**PART 4**

'You'd better get back to the hospital, Ef,' said Cook with a note of concern in his voice as he released the arm he had curled around a still emotionally shocked Effy and saw her pale, drawn tear-stained face. 'You need some proper care from the doc and the nurses. I'll ring for a cab to take you back there.' He was feeling very guilty for having dragged her away from her sick bed and was suddenly very anxious for her state of health.

'I'm okay, honest,' protested Effy who desperately wanted to cling on to the one person who made her feel as if Freddie was in some way still alive and with her but Cook was having none of it. 'Don't go just yet.'

'No, you're not,' he insisted firmly as he slowly helped a still shaky Effy to her feet, holding on to her tightly for fear she might fall over, so unsteady did she seem to be on her pins. He ignored her continued protests and started to gently pull her with him in the direction of the front of the flats when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from around the corner. There must have been something about them, perhaps their note of urgency or possibly the fact that they had appeared out of nowhere and were seemingly heading over in their precise direction that caused him to stop suddenly, look around quickly and without any further hesitation half push, half drag Effy along the side of the wall and into the shadows of half light afforded by the row of garages. He put a finger to his lips in a gesture to Effy to keep quiet and waited, with an increasing heartbeat and a familiar rush of adrenaline and giddy excitement to see who the footsteps belonged to. He could feel Effy's heartbeat racing as well as she pressed up against him and for a few fleeting seconds his mind wandered back to the last time he and Effy were so up close and personal in a confined space.

The footsteps were getting ever nearer and in Cook's judgement were only seconds away from coming across them when the strident cry of a woman's voice rang out loud and clear from the other side of the flats, the effect of whose words sufficed to make the rapidly approaching footsteps suddenly come to a dead stop.

'Cook! Where are you, Cook, you lying bastard?! You said you were popping out for a fag. You didn't say anything about smoking the whole fucking packet! Cook!

If you don't come back in the next couple of minutes you can spend the night out in the cold, I won't be letting you back in!'

This cheery greeting of Dawn's would normally have precipitated a hearty snigger from Cook but on this occasion his face was a study in stony coldness as he held his breath and waited to see what effect Dawn's words had on the mysterious prowler by the garages. He didn't have long to wait to find out. Within seconds the footsteps started up again but this time they were heading away from him and Effy and towards, he strongly suspected, the source of the anguished lamentations of an irate Dawn.

**PART 5**

Having let off steam into the cold night air all to no avail a silently fuming Dawn was turning round to go back into the building when a voice called out to her from behind her.

'Excuse me, Madam, but can I ask you, were you calling out just now to a James Cook?'

Dawn let out an involuntary gasp, froze in horror for an instant before slowly turning round to find herself confronted by a tall, fair-haired, well-dressed man in his early thirties who didn't look at all like the kind of dodgy, rather scary individual whom she would have expected Cook to owe money to.

'I'm sorry?' she said defensively, afraid to commit herself too soon to knowing Cook before she had established exactly who she was speaking with.

'I'm looking for a Mr James Cook. He was last seen in this area with a young woman with long brown hair in her early twenties. Have you seen either of them this evening?'

'Who are you?'

DS Hathaway dug into his jacket pocket and produced his warrant card, holding it up for her to read. 'Sgt Hathaway, Thames Valley CID.'

Dawn's heart sunk and she began to inwardly curse Cook for dropping her into the shit with the police, all the more so since he'd sworn blind the spot of bother he claimed to be in was not a police matter. _The lying shitbag, _she thought as she forced herself to attempt a weak smile at Hathaway.

'What was this man's name again, sergeant?'

'The same name I heard you calling out just now. Cook. James Cook. Please don't mess me about, Miss. It's cold, I've had a long, hard day and I really don't want to finish it by dragging you down to the police station and charging you with obstructing the police in their enquiries.'

The threat of a senseless and utterly avoidable police charge was all the motivation Dawn needed to come clean and admit the truth. Much as she liked Cook and was undeniably attracted to him and his aura of excitement and mystery, she wasn't as stupid or reckless as to be prepared to cover for him to the police and risk a criminal charge of her own. No bloke, and certainly not a man she'd never even met two days ago, was worth that sacrifice.

'Okay, okay. Yes, I was calling out Cook's name.'

'So you do know him then?'

'I only met him a couple of days ago. He's been staying with me until he sorts out some business.

'When did you last see him?' Hathaway's eyes expertly darted around as he questioned Dawn. He reasoned Cook couldn't have gone far if he'd only snuck out to meet up with Effy.

'About half an hour ago. He said he was popping out for a cigarette but I got bored waiting for him to come back and decided to go and give him some grief outside. Only the bastard seems to have buggered off.'

'Did he mention anything about meeting up with any other woman?'

'He briefly mentioned this girl he'd known for years who was in some sort of trouble and he had to stick around and help her out before he could leave Oxford. He never said who she was or what she looked like.'

Hathaway nodded and guessed that Cook must have been referring to Effy. Clearly he had left Dawn's flat to meet up with Effy somewhere outside. God only knew if they were still around in the area but he had to carry out a thorough search of the immediate surroundings in case they were still deep in conversation – though what it could be about Hathaway neither knew nor cared right then. All he cared about was finding Effy and getting her back to the hospital before she suffered a major relapse.

'Thank you for your help, Miss…..? Hathaway's raised eyebrows and prolonged stare indicated to Dawn that he was waiting for a late introduction.

'Oh…Dawn Simpson.'

'Thank you Miss Simpson. Now if you would be so kind as to return to your flat. I'll take it from here, if you don't mind.' The quiet but politely insistent tone in Hathaway's voice suggested to Dawn that she did exactly as she was told without a word of protest. A stiff breeze got up and blew right between the two of them and acted as a reminder to Dawn that there was little point in her hanging around outside freezing her tits off when a nice-looking police sergeant was presumably going to her job for her and track Cook down. She nodded back at Hathaway and retreated hurriedly into the building, leaving the sergeant to begin his thorough search of the immediate area. But the inquisitive side of Dawn's nature made her curious to find out what the hell was going on with Cook despite the sergeant's warning to back off.

**PART 6**

Cook could tell that Effy was suffering. She was leaning heavily against him, breathing with difficulty and gave the impression several times that she might keel over. He had to get her back to hospital quick but couldn't be sure that the coast was yet clear. Ideally he would have liked to carry her back inside, ring for a cab and wait with her until she was safely being driven back to where she needed to be most. But he was wary of the presence of the person with the footsteps who, his sixth sense told him, was probably not the Good Samaritan. He had to make a quick decision which he duly did. Gently helping Effy down on to the ground and propping her up against a couple of dustbins for support, he told her to stay put for a minute and hang on in there while he checked out the lie of the land, promising he would be back in no time and would get her back to the hospital.

He shot away on tiptoe into the dark of the night, scuttling along the side of the garages and down a path which led round to the front of building. Having reached the corner he stuck his head round and observed the area in front of the main entrance which mercifully seemed to be deserted. He cast his eyes about him but there was not a soul to be seen. If ever there was a time to get Effy inside and out of sight of any prying eyes or menacing footsteps this was it, he thought. Procrastinate any longer and the person with the footsteps might return to thwart his plans.

He must have been so caught up in his thoughts, so consumed by his concern for Effy and his frantic desire to get her back to the hospital safe and sound but without a trace of the trail leading back to him that he was oblivious to the almost noiseless approach of the person who suddenly came up behind him. Right at the very last second he thought he heard the smallest of sounds which provoked a twist of the head but by then it was too late. An arm was wrapped around his throat and a hand put across his mouth as he immediately struggled to break free from the hold that had been so expertly put on him. The suddenness of the attack sent shockwaves through his body. Cook wasn't accustomed to being caught off guard so easily as that and he bridled with a mixture of shame, anger and disbelief as he attempted to recover his honour.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

I know it has been two months since my last chapter but finally I have succeeded in finding the time to update this fic. Only problem is, I have found it seriously hard going trying to pick up not just the thread of the story but the whole feel and mood of it as well. I wish I could have written a better chapter on my return but I fear it might take me a little while yet to really get back in the swing of things after such a long absence – my own fault entirely. So, apologies if this latest offering proves something of a disappointment to you but I promise I will do my utmost to rediscover my focus and make the next few chapters a big improvement. If you have any comments, thoughts or ideas about the fic which you think I might find useful and instructive please feel free to post them at the end. I would love to hear from anyone and would welcome any contributions, however short or concise they might be.


	34. Chapter 34- The Story So Far

Let me make one thing perfectly clear right from the start. This is NOT a brand new chapter in my story My Little Eye. That will be coming very soon, probably before the end of this month. After nearly a year 's absence from the fan fiction scene I am finally ready to start writing again after overcoming considerable doubts and uncertainties as to whether I could come back to this story and finish what I had started so long ago.

It occurred to me, though, that since the last chapter was written such a long time ago and most people who had been reading the story would have forgotten what had happened in the first 33 chapters, it might be useful to summarise the main events to date to give an alternative option to those followers who couldn't face the prospect of going back to the start and reading it all over again. Therefore I have come up with the idea of reprinting in this special one-off chapter the short summaries I have always presented at the beginning of each new chapter entitled 'Previously on My Little Eye'.

So, starting with the précis of chapter 1's 'highlights' which preceded the start of chapter 2 I set out below the full list of 'Previously' sections for you to get back up to speed with the fanfic without having to re-read the whole story. If you do choose the go back to the beginning then that's great but at least you now have another option!

As I said, a real new chapter WILL be with you in a week or so. Hopefully some of you will not have given up on the story for good and will be pleased to hear that. I will welcome any comments you may have about this 'Story So Far' experiment or any thoughts you might have about what could happen in the rest of the fanfic as I set out to bring eventual closure to My Little Eye.

**AUTHOR'S FOREWORDS**

**CHAPTER TWO**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily has planned a surprise birthday party for Naomi and has invited the rest of the gang up to Oxford for the weekend. Effy turns up a few days early in her boyfriend's car and has a chance meeting with DS Hathaway. Naomi is suspicious that Emily is hiding something from her when her girlfriend gets secretive about a text message she receives from JJ who tells her he has big news to tell them at the weekend. Meanwhile DI Lewis becomes very concerned when an anonymous disturbing note is sent to the police which suggests that a brutal murder is about to be committed.

**CHAPTER THREE**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Effy turns up at Naomi and Emily's house with the plan of hanging out with the girls for a few days. Lewis and Hathaway are called to the scene of a headless corpse found at a rubbish dump. The three girls have a boozy night out at the pub to cheer up Effy who is having boyfriend problems. At the pub Effy runs into Sgt Hathaway again who is playing guitar in the pub band. Lewis is furious to find out that officers are speculating about his relationship with Hobson

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Effy wakes up feeling really rough after the previous evening's drinking excesses. The decapitated victim's head turns up in a box left at the offices of the local newspaper with a cryptic quote. Effy confesses to Emily over lunch that she has invited Sgt Hathaway to Naomi's surprise party on Saturday night. A second anonymous warning from the killer arrives at the police station. Naomi accidentally sees an email sent by Emily to her professor and jumps to the conclusion that the two women might be having a secret relationship behind her back.

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Naomi agonises over what to do after the shock of seeing Emily's email to her professor. The police receive another I Spy message from the killer, taunting them to guess what his next brutal killing will be. Lewis and Hathaway visit the family of politics lecturer Dr Martin, the man believed to be the killer's first victim. Effy goes for a drink with Hathaway in the evening, leaving Naomi alone with Emily and her dark suspicions about her girlfriend's deception.

**CHAPTER SIX**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Naomi is still suspicious that Emily has been involved with her professor behind her back. DI Lewis asks Dr Hobson if she will go out for dinner with him that Saturday night. Katie, JJ and Lara are preparing to make their way to Oxford for Naomi's surprise party. When Emily goes to pick up the birthday cake, Naomi slips out of the house through a bedroom window unseen by Effy, intent on tailing Emily to see whether she's secretly gone to meet her professor.

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Naomi's tailing of Emily provides her with no clear answers as to what Emily is up to. Effy reassures Naomi she has nothing to worry about and drags her out for the afternoon, leaving Emily free to make the final preparations for the party. Katie is the first to arrive and her behaviour worries Emily. Effy questions Naomi about her new friendship with Sgt James Hathaway. Naomi is stunned on arriving home to find out about the surprise party Emily has arranged and equally thrilled to be given a puppy for her birthday by JJ and Lara.

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Naomi's new puppy Harvey is the centre of attention at the start of the party. A slightly tipsy Naomi gives a piece of her mind to Emily's boss at the newspaper for not giving her enough chances to shine at her job. A far drunker Katie tries unsuccessfully to chat up Sgt Hathaway, much to Effy's amusement. JJ reveals his big news to the rest of the gang – Lara is pregnant and he is going to be a father! An unexpected late visitor to the party turns up on the doorstep.

**CHAPTER NINE**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Cook makes a shock appearance on the doorstep and a shocked Emily invites him in. He comes under persistent questioning from Naomi, Katie & JJ about where he's been since he disappeared but reveals little to them. Cook watches Effy flirting with Hathaway at the party and comes over to chat briefly with a stunned Effy while Hathaway looks on, intrigued. A seriously pissed Katie is taken upstairs to crash out in the spare room. Naomi takes Harvey for a walk and on the way back discovers a badly mutilated dead body in the woods opposite the house.

**CHAPTER TEN**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Lewis and Hobson's pleasant evening together is shattered when Lewis gets a call to the murder scene. The gang discover Cook has done a disappearing act after Hathaway called in the police. The victim is identified as the chief editor of the Oxford Herald who was at the party earlier on. The body has been mutilated in the very manner Hathaway deduced from the riddle sent to the police by the killer. Emily sees an opportunity to make a name for herself by getting the paper to agree that she should write the story of the murder of its own chief editor. She persuades Naomi to help her in her secret mission and cover for her absence.

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Lewis and Hathaway interview Effy about Cook who has disappeared from the house and Lewis orders a search party to go out to look for him. Lewis reluctantly gives Effy permission to continue to see Hathaway providing they avoid talking about the murder inquiry. Naomi and Katie almost come to blows over Emily. The gang speculate on how Cook found out about the party and someone knows more than they are telling. Dr Hobson shows the two detectives Naomi's spliff which she accidentally left behind near the body after which Lewis resolves to carry out DNA tests on everyone at the party.

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: It's the morning after the night before and as DI Lewis ponders the case at home the gang clean up the house without Katie's help as she is still too pissed from the previous evening. Emily has sent her article on the murder in to the paper for approval. In the afternoon Naomi argues that Emily's boss must have been murdered by someone at the party but no-one supports her theory. Lara and JJ stun Katie by asking if she would be godmother to their baby. Effy and Sgt Hathaway are spotted by the gang punting along the river which infuriates an envious Katie who still harbours designs on Hathaway.

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily is convinced something is up with Katie and is keen to find out what it is. Meanwhile, alone in her bedroom, Katie attempts to drink her way out of a dark depression. Whilst spending the afternoon on the river with Hathaway, Effy debates how much longer to stay in Oxford. Lewis and Hobson arrive at the cinema only for Lewis to spot Chief Supt Innocent and persuade a reluctant Hobson to hide from her. Katie has the gang in stitches at a night club when she tries to flirt on the dance floor with Sgt Hathaway. Naomi's plans for a night of passion with Emily are thwarted by Harvey's insistence at sleeping on the bed with them.

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily's story on the murder of her boss appears on the front page of the local newspaper, much to the annoyance of Ch Spt Innocent who orders a chastised Lewis to go and read her the riot act. Naomi and Emily have reason to suspect one of their house guests has been helping themselves to their vodka on the sly. After giving Emily an official ticking off Lewis and Hathaway ask the gang to provide DNA samples for them to compare with the DNA traces left on the spliff found by the last victim's body. The heart removed by the killer is discovered in a shoe box in the church of Saint Saviour's. Lara accidentally trips over Harvey's ball left on the stairs and goes crashing right down to the bottom in front of a horrified JJ.

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Two lines from a Bon Jovi classic found with the editor's heart puzzle our detectives. The doctor tells JJ and the girls that he expects Lara and the baby will both be okay but that she will be kept in for observation. A third note sent to the police suggests that the murderer's next victim will suffer castration. Emily tries to persuade Katie to reveal what has turned her to drink but Katie reacts badly and runs off, leaving Emily upset and confused. Cook is lying low but contacts JJ to enlist his help in meeting up with Effy. Lewis and Hathaway learn that Cook has a record and that Effy's car has been reported stolen by her boyfriend.

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Lewis issues Effy with a stern caution but decides not to charge her with stealing her ex-boyfriend's car whilst Hathaway looks on uncomfortably. Emily is called in to see her new female boss who congratulates her on her article and promises she will take her on as her protégé and champion her cause in future. Hathaway interviews Naomi's professor at college and takes a DNA sample from her at the very moment that Naomi walks in on them. The editor's wife tells Lewis her husband was an unpleasant bully and a womaniser. A castrated naked body is found in the vestry at the church but the two detectives are gob smacked to see that the victim is not the missing Reverend Charles but the churchwarden.

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily tries unsuccessfully to persuade Naomi to tell the police that she smoked the spliff found at the murder scene after the party. Lewis and Hathaway discuss the latest surprise murder victim and vow to search assiduously for anything that might link the three murder victims, however tenuous or flimsy. After an enjoyable night out cheering up JJ, Emily and Naomi are forced to intervene when they come across a tanked-up Katie fighting with another girl in the street.

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily and Naomi get a battered and bruised Katie home and clean her up. Effy gets a text message from Cook to meet her in the toilets of the bar which she manages to do without arousing Hathaway's suspicions. Emily begs a furious and unrepentant Katie to tell her what her problem is that's driven her to drink. Effy meets up with Cook who begins to explain to her what happened to Freddie but they are interrupted by Hathaway who has been tipped off by Lewis that Cook has been spotted in the area. Cook escapes but Effy is taken down to the police station by Lewis for questioning

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Effy is given a hard time by DI Lewis down at the police station but is allowed to leave without any charges. Emily tells Naomi that Katie revealed in their late night chat that she got fired from her job because of alcoholism. Emily is determined to help Katie kick the booze and sort her life out again. Lewis agonises over what to do about Hathaway's close relationship with Effy and goes to see Dr Hobson to chew the matter over with a friendly face. Someone is spending the night hiding in the shed in Naomi and Emily's garden but has their sights set on a more permanent and convenient hideout.

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Naomi is horrified to find Emily pouring all the alcohol in the house down the kitchen sink as Emily begins her campaign to help Katie give up the booze. Cook waits until everyone has left the house to break in, raid the fridge and set up his temporary home in the attic. The severed testicles of the last murder victim are found by Professor Greaves in a box addressed to the Head of Politics at Lonsdale College. A quote from Shakespeare is found with the testicles, leading Lewis and Hathaway to wonder if Eleanor may be the next victim on the list.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily's boss suggests she should use Effy's friendship with Sgt Hathaway to uncover some new details on the murder case for her newspaper story which leaves Emily in a dilemma. Katie is finding it really hard going on day one of her abstinence from alcohol and begins to realise she might need more help than Emily can give her. Lara leaves hospital and arrives back at the house with JJ. On the upstairs landing Harvey can detect a different smell in the house from normal but can't locate the source of it. Lewis and Hathaway run through their early theories about the murders with a far from convinced Superintendent Innocent. Naomi notices food has vanished from the fridge and JJ suggests the house may have mice.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Cook has a brief altercation on the landing with Harvey who almost gives the game away about Cook's secret hide-out. Hathaway isn't returning Effy's calls and texts so she decides she will have to go and confront him at the police station. Lewis is convinced that Dr Martin's daughter Jenny is hiding something when she denies knowing either of the other two murder victims when he shows her their photos. Over lunch Emily tries to persuade Katie to go to a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous but Katie reacts angrily to the suggestion.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Effy has a difficult conversation at the police station with James who tells her he thinks they should stop seeing each other until the investigation is over. She in turn refuses to promise to tell the police if Cook gets in touch again. Naomi and Emily take advantage of a rare empty house to have an afternoon of passion on the upstairs landing, unaware that Cook is watching them from the attic and relieving his sexual frustration in the process. Naomi promises to concoct a plan to help Emily write a new story on the murders without exploiting Effy. DI Lewis arrives at Laura Hobson's to take her out to a concert for the evening.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Cook persuades JJ to make up an excuse to stay at home while the girls go to the cinema so they can have a secret drunken boys' night in. JJ tries to stand up to Cook and tell him he doesn't want to be part of his reckless life any more. Emily promises Katie she will go with her to her first AA meeting to give her moral support. During the evening Naomi attempts to extract some details from Effy about Hathaway and Lewis for Emily's next newspaper piece. Lewis and Hobson finish the evening at Hobson's house and she invites him to stay the night.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Robbie finds out the morning after the night before that he didn't sleep with Laura after all but fell asleep drunk before he could do anything. Laura forgives him and hints that she may give him a second chance. Emily's boss Susie invites Emily to discuss her new article over a few drinks in the evening and Emily gratefully accepts. Cook is almost caught out by the unexpected arrival at the house of James Hathaway who gives Effy some shocking news about the body of Dr Foster being discovered in Bristol together with the bloodstained clothes of an unknown second person. Naomi is taken to the police station for questioning about how her DNA has been traced to the spliff at the second murder scene.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Naomi comes clean about the spliff and is relieved to get away with nothing more than a reprimand from Hathaway and a warning not to hold back vital information again. Emily accompanies Katie to her first AA meeting but once inside Katie lets her nerves and fears get the better of her and she escapes through the fire exit in a desperate search for some Dutch courage. Emily meets up with her boss at the wine bar and feels flattered by the attention, easy compliments and white wine that Susie showers upon her. In the meantime a seriously pissed Katie causes a scene when she storms into the AA meeting and ends up passing out in a drunken stupor in front of her fellow alcoholics.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily receives news of Katie's drunken scene at the AA meeting just as her boss Susie is about to come on to her in the wine bar. Naomi is forced to witness Emily's misery and frustration when a barely conscious Katie is brought home and crashes out on the sofa. Driving around Oxford aimlessly, out of her mind with confusion, bewilderment and despair, Effy sees a vision of Cook at the side of the road and drives straight towards him, crashing the car in the process. Naomi and Emily rush over to the hospital to be with an unconscious Effy as soon as they get word of the accident where they are joined first by a hooded James Cook and then by Sgt Hathaway whom Inspector Lewis has given the news about Effy's crash.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Cook succeeds in evading the hot pursuit of Sgt Hathaway and finds a hiding place in the hospital while he formulates a proper escape plan. An anxious Emily and Naomi sit at Effy's bedside, praying that she will regain consciousness and tell them what role Cook played in her accident. Dressed in an impromptu doctor's outfit, Cook hooks up with a group of doctors under whose cover he manages to walk out of the hospital past the police constables lying in wait for him at the exit. A telephone conversation suggests that the serial killer has plans to carry out one further brutal murder in the very near future as a final act of revenge.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily wakes up with a hangover and uncomfortable, painful memories of the events of the night before. Meanwhile Cook wakes up in bed next to the attractive young female doctor he used as cover in making his escape from the hospital. He uses his innate charm to persuade her to let him stay at her place a few days while he contemplates his next move. Emily begs a reluctant Naomi to keep an eye on a seriously wiped out Katie until she gets back from work. In the police station Chief Superintendent Innocent is on the warpath looking for Lewis and Hathaway who are studying a new anonymous note from the serial killer announcing the impending event of the next victim who it is planned will be buried alive.

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Emily has a battle of words with a much despised work colleague that causes her huge embarrassment and sends her to seek sanctuary and solitude in the ladies loo to get rid of her anger and resentment. While letting off steam thinking she is alone, Emily is overheard by Susie Peters and is forced to blag her way out of admitting that it was her boss who was the focal point of the earlier uncomfortable confrontation. Naomi gives in to Katie's pleas not to leave her alone in the house and agrees reluctantly to let her hung over friend go in to college with her. Faced with being saddled with an extremely bored Katie for the afternoon Naomi bribes Sammy, a student friend of hers, into 'babysitting' Katie during her tutorial after issuing him strict instructions on pain of death to keep her away from alcohol.

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Naomi emerges from her tutorial to find that Katie has disappeared and goes off in search of her. Lewis and Hathaway come under heavy pressure from a displeased Ch. Spt. Innocent to bring the murder investigation to a swift and successful conclusion. Naomi trawls all around the college grounds and eventually discovers Katie having sex with Sammy in one of the sheds. She vents her fury on the coupling pair and gets a few choice words from Katie in return when she tries to drag her back home. Cook takes full advantage of Dawn's hospitality and has a ball in her flat while she is at work but is confronted later by a furious Dawn who has found out in the meantime that Cook is not the doctor that he claimed to be.

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Sgt. Hathaway learns more about the Martin family whilst taking afternoon tea with one of their neighbours. Lewis witnesses a tearful Jenny Martin leaving Mrs Wells' house and discovers that the two women have known each other for many years when Mrs Wells used to give a teenage Jenny private tuition. Naomi manages to persuade Katie to keep quiet about her exploits with Sammy and not upset Emily any further. Cook spins Dawn a story to cover up the real reason for his need to lie low but admits he has to sort out some unfinished business with Effy before leaving Oxford. Dr Hobson cheers up a weary Lewis by inviting him out for a night at their favourite pub. When the three girls turn up at the hospital to visit Effy they discover she has disappeared from her bed without a trace.

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Cook leaves Dawn's flat ostensibly to have a smoke but leaving the young doctor suspicious of his motives. The twins and Naomi give the hospital staff serious grief over their failure to keep a close eye on Effy following the discovery of their friend's disappearance. During an evening together at the pub Laura Hobson promises to help DI Lewis to find a new hobby to help him make new friends and eradicate his feelings of loneliness. Sgt Hathaway responds to a plea from the girls to help them find Effy and he drives them to an address on the other side of town where he believes Effy has been taken by taxi. An unknown figure drags an unconscious male out of a car and into a wood and proceeds to dig a hole in which to bury alive the unfortunate victim.

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR**

Cook finally reveals the full truth of Freddie's murder to a disbelieving and grief-stricken Effy who wonders what the future holds in store for both of them. Back at Laura's, after some tortuous hesitation and private feelings of self-doubt, Lewis allows himself to be dragged upstairs to the bedroom by Laura under the pretence of her giving him some lessons in how to play bridge. When Sgt. Hathaway and the girls arrive at Dawn's address, Naomi ignores the sergeant's orders to stay in the car while he searches for Effy & Cook and quietly slips out after him instead. When Cook hears footsteps approaching, he drags Effy into the shadows to hide but Hathaway runs into an irate Dawn whom he questions about Cook's whereabouts. When Cook leaves Effy alone for a minute to check out what's happening he is taken by surprise by a mystery assailant who wraps an arm across his throat and clamps a hand over his mouth.


	35. Chapter 35

**Previously On My Little Eye**: Cook finally reveals the full truth of Freddie's murder to a disbelieving and grief-stricken Effy who wonders what the future holds in store for both of them. Back at Laura's, after some tortuous hesitation and private feelings of self-doubt, Lewis allows himself to be dragged upstairs to the bedroom by Laura under the pretence of her giving him some lessons in how to play bridge. When Sgt. Hathaway and the girls arrive at Dawn's address, Naomi ignores the sergeant's orders to stay in the car while he searches for Effy & Cook and quietly slips out after him . When Cook hears footsteps approaching, he drags Effy into the shadows to hide but Hathaway runs into an irate Dawn whom he questions about Cook's whereabouts. When Cook leaves Effy alone for a minute to check things out he is taken by surprise by a mystery assailant who clamps a hand over his mouth.

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

**PART 1**

It only took Cook a second or two to recover his composure before he attempted to free himself from his unknown assailant's vice-like grip when a familiar voice whispered right up against his ear with a note of urgency and quiet desperation.

'Cook! Stop struggling, will you, for fuck's sake! It's me, Naomi.'

He immediately stopped squirming and wriggling as he recognised her unmistakeable voice and in turn Naomi loosened her grip on him and released her hand from his mouth. He slowly turned round to face the young girl whom he could sense rather than see was glaring at him angrily from close quarters, her nose almost touching his. She put a finger to her lips, rather unnecessarily Cook thought as he had no intention of striking up an ordinary conversation with her in normal tones, and beckoned to him to follow her.

When they had retreated sufficiently back into the shadows as to be out of sight of any passer-by Naomi rounded on Cook with a vehemence that was only slightly softened by the hushed tones she continued to use.

'What have you done with Effy, you stupid fucker?'

'She's fine. She's just round the corner by the garages. She's perfectly okay.' Cook returned Naomi's furious gaze with nonchalant equanimity but in his heart he could understand Naomi's concern, indeed shared it, albeit with the benefit of a knowledge of Effy's current state of mind that Naomi wasn't yet privy to. He doubted very much that Effy was okay. He suspected she might not be truly okay for a very long time.

'No, Cook, she _was_ fine when she was in hospital being looked after by the doctors - until you persuaded her to leave and join you out here in this godforsaken hole, you selfish tosser.'

'We needed to talk,' Cook whispered back whilst keeping a beady eye open and an ear cocked for any more threatening footsteps or voices which might disturb their secret exchanges. 'It was important,' he said lamely, knowing Naomi would be far from impressed with such a feeble excuse for luring Effy away from her sick bed but not wanting to go into any more details at that point.

'Wrong again, Cook. What's important is getting Effy back to hospital right now. For your information, Sgt Hathaway's somewhere out here looking for the pair of you. You've got to get the fuck out of here, unless you _want_ to get caught and be arrested for abduction and Christ knows how many murders.'

'Jesus, Naomi! I'm not the bloody serial killer the cops are looking for. You can't seriously believe that!' In his desperation to defend himself from the undeserved charge of being a mass murderer Cook's whispered protests began to rise alarmingly in volume, forcing Naomi to revert back to clamping a hand over his mouth for the second time that evening.

'I didn't say you were, arsehole!' She was beginning to tire of Cook's endless protestations of innocence and his continual self-interest. 'It's not me who thinks you're capable of murder, it's the police. But if you hang around here any longer you might just get the chance to prove your innocence to them in person. Now take me to Effy and then get the hell out of here before Sgt Hathaway finds you.'

Cook couldn't argue with most of Naomi's summary of the situation and nodded in silent agreement. The two of them beat a hasty tiptoed retreat back to the garages and together they helped a still groggy and badly shaken Effy up onto her feet. She gave an involuntary gasp of surprise when she recognised Naomi who hugged her friend quickly and whispered to her that everything was going to be all right and that she was going to take her back to hospital.

'I'm going to phone Sgt Hathaway and get him over here to help me with Effy. If you know what's good for you, Cook, you'll start running now...and fast.'

Cook hesitated to go as he calmly watched Naomi call Hathaway on her mobile and relay the news that she had found Effy and was waiting for him to come over and help her. He knew he had to scarper, he was more than aware that every second he delayed his departure increased the danger to his own personal safety and freedom but it was as if his feet were stuck in cement or quicksand. It felt like he would be running out on the only girl he'd ever really cared for, even, perhaps, in his own screwed up way, loved. Real men don't do that, he told himself. Only cowards run away and leave a poor vulnerable girl to fend for herself and he was no coward, he knew that for a fact.

'Go! Go, for fuck's sake!' hissed Naomi, terrified that Hathaway would appear any second from out of the dark shadows and catch the three of them together red-handed, their conspiracy to obstruct the police in their investigations as undeniable and clear-cut as a puppy being caught next to a pile of poo.

'Naomi! Where are you?' came the strident tones of Hathaway's voice from a distance of around thirty metres away, just to their left behind a row of bushes and small hedges which mercifully shielded the sergeant from view.

'Over here!' Naomi shouted back and turned an imploring pair of eyes on Cook as she silently mouthed the words 'Get out of here!' to Cook one last time before breathing heavily in blessed relief as Cook finally got the message. After giving Effy one last hug and a kiss, he shot away at breakneck speed into the cold, damp night, so noiselessly and efficiently that when Sgt Hathaway appeared just a few seconds later at the side of the girls Cook had already completely disappeared from view.

**PART 2**

Although he had legged it out of sight by the time Sgt Hathaway arrived on the scene to take control and carry an exhausted and semi-conscious Effy back to his car, closely followed by a nervous-looking Naomi, Cook had not completely turned his back on his friends. From a discreet distance behind a convenient wall about fifty yards away he studiously observed them depart the scene and satisfied himself that Effy was once again in good hands and would be well looked after. He knew it was finally time for him to bid his farewells to Oxford, the Oxfordshire Constabulary who had been on the hunt for him for so long and with so little success and, most painfully of all, his old friends from Bristol who had come to mean far more to him that he had previously realised. Leaving them for good would be a wrench, especially after his shocking confession that night to Effy, but he was certain it would be in all their best interests if their paths never crossed again.

'See you, babes,' he whispered to himself as he watched Hathaway's car drive off with his four girls safely inside. 'Thanks for the ride. It was fun while it lasted.' There was genuine sadness in his face, tinged with a touch of guilt that things had turned out the way they did, as he metaphorically waved goodbye to an important and memorable part of his life which he would never revisit again. But he, Cook, was a survivor and he would live to fight another day, make new friends, bed more babes, get into more scrapes, of that he had no doubt. 'Onwards and upwards, Cook, me old son! Besides, you're not one for being tied down to any one place, any one girl. You're a mover and a shaker! It's time to move on and shake your stuff somewhere else.'

With those rallying words of self-motivation ringing in his ears, Cook boldly strode out from behind his hiding place and began purposefully to retrace his steps back to Dawn's flat. He knew he would have to come up with a bloody good reason why he had been gone for almost an hour to have a quick smoke, not to mention why he would suddenly have to gather up his things and bugger off and leave her but he was sure whatever he conjured up Dawn would swallow, just as she had all the other lies, half-truths and deceptions he had invented when their paths had first crossed just a few days ago.

He had got as far as the front door to the flats and was stretching out an arm to push the door open when the faintest of sounds from behind made him instantly turn his head a fraction but even that was too late. For the second time in the space of half an hour the normally alert and switched on Cook was taken unawares. The hefty, well-judged blow to the side of the head was of sufficient force to knock him to the ground and render him unconscious. Dawn had a quick nervous look around to check that the assault hadn't been witnessed by an inconvenient passing stranger and then swiftly bent down, threw the bloodstained bit of wood into the nearby bushes and slowly but deliberately dragged Cook by his lifeless arms through the door and into the dimly lit ground floor of the flats. This had not been Cook's finest hour, an inescapable conclusion that would unquestionably have been reverberating inside his head and giving him much personal shame and embarrassment if only he had been conscious enough to be capable of rational human thought.

**PART 3**

'Don't let her lose consciousness,' insisted a worried Hathaway as he glanced in the mirror at Emily and Naomi who were anxiously tending to Effy in the back of the car. 'Keep talking to her. Tell her she's going to be fine. You mustn't let her black out, do you hear me, girls?'

The two girls, who each had an arm draped comfortingly around Effy's shoulders and were holding a hand each, nodded obediently and dutifully carried out the sergeant's instructions to the letter.

'You're going to be fine now, Effy,' said Emily encouragingly, forcing herself to give a big smile to their friend who looked for all the world like she was ready to drop off at any moment into one mega-sleep from which Emily was terrified she might never wake up. 'You'll soon be back in your lovely, warm hospital bed with all those doctors and nurses running around making a big fuss of you.'

'And I'll be having a few words with hospital security to make sure they get their arse into gear this time and keep you safe - otherwise I'll be chewing their bollocks off in the operating theatre.' Naomi squeezed Effy's hand and flashed a huge grin and a knowing wink at her, hoping her little joke would somehow put the tiniest of smiles on Effy's deathly pale face which it just about succeeded in doing,

'Did you see any sign of Cook?' asked Hathaway looking pointedly at Naomi in his mirror. He wanted to scrutinise her face closely when she answered but he couldn't afford to take his eyes off the busy road so the blonde was able to lie brazenly in reply without the risk of her facial features giving her away.

'No, not a dickie bird,' she said with a deliberately stony-faced expression. 'The bastard must have just left her where I found her and hoped that someone would eventually come along and help her. Selfish fucking arsehole!' she added, hoping that her loud, vehemently delivered oath would be the final, convincing, neat little touch that would persuade Hathaway she was telling the truth.

'Okay,' said Hathaway, not quite knowing whether to believe Naomi or not. 'I've put out a general call to all officers in the immediate area to be on the look-out for James Cook. If he's out on the streets anywhere nearby we'll pick him up.'

'Good,' said Naomi with a forced nod of approval. Emily looked across at Naomi and raised a discreet eyebrow by way of subtle inquiry as to whether her girlfriend could really have meant all that she had just told Hathaway but Naomi met her gaze with a blank expression. She wasn't giving anything away, not even to Emily. If the truth ever did come out and the shit well and truly hit the fan about her involvement in Cook's escape from police capture then she didn't want Emily being dragged into that particular mess as well.

While the two girls were attempting as best they could to keep Effy awake, warm and comforted, Katie was sitting in front with Sgt Hathaway doing her utmost to turn on her feminine charms and flirt with the handsome detective.

'Gosh, I don't know if it's just me but I'm feeling really hot,' she gushed as she turned her big doe eyes on Hathaway and started undoing one of the buttons on her top. 'I think it must be all the excitement of tonight that's brought it on,' she added as she threw Hathaway one of her best nervous, apologetic, little girl smiles that used to prove utterly irresistible to boys of her own age only a few years ago.

'You're probably just having a menopausal hot flush, Katie,' Naomi piped up from the back, causing Katie briefly to swivel round and stare daggers at the blonde who met the latent hostility and cold aggression in Katie's eyes with her own look of withering contempt.

'I'm so glad you were with us tonight, Sgt. Hathaway,' Katie continued, undeterred by Naomi's expression of world-weary disgust at her blatant flirting at such a fraught time. 'I would have been really scared without you around to protect us.' She undid a second button on her blouse whilst she was looking across at the detective, fanning herself with her free hand as she did so and consequently exposing a generous proportion of her not inconsiderable cleavage to Hathaway's embarrassed half gaze. She fidgeted a little in her seat, constrained as she was by the inconvenience of the seat-belt that Hathaway had insisted she put on, but nonetheless she succeeded in turning her full-figured body a little more to the right so that she was now comfortably almost side on to Sgt Hathaway. She discreetly yet skilfully hitched up her skirt an inch or two in the process with all the practiced art of the experienced party prick-tease and gave some brief but serious thought to the idea of doing a Sharon Stone on the good-looking sergeant but dismissed it as logistically impractical and wholly unworthy of a woman of her class and sophistication.

'I'm glad to have been of service, Katie,' said Hathaway, fixing his gaze on the road ahead and not daring to turn his eyes on the flirtatious young woman. He was relieved that the lack of bright light in the car would have made it nigh on impossible for Katie to have noticed him blushing at her all too obvious antics. Katie was not to be put off by the sergeant's dogged refusal to look her in the eyes and she continued to try out all manner of predictable seduction techniques on her captive audience. She proceeded to play with her hair in exaggerated fashion, apply some lipstick with the aid of a small compact mirror in which it was hard to imagine she could see any reflection in such poor light and run her fingers up and down the tops of her thighs, presumably out of sheer nervous excitement.

'Do you really think Cook could be this serial killer you're after, Sgt Hathaway?' she asked, determined to engage him in conversation even if he couldn't (or wouldn't?) look at her.

'I don't know. That's why we need to track him down and bring him in for questioning,'

'So, if anyone has any information about where he might be, what should that person do? Come straight to see you at the police station?' Katie leaned forward provocatively in her seat and fixed what she intended to be an adoring gaze at the bashful detective who wriggled uncomfortably in his seat as he inadvertently caught an eyeful of her ample breasts which she was making damn sure were on full display.

'Y...es,' he replied hesitantly, desperate not to fall into what he suspected was an obvious trap. 'Or Detective Inspector Lewis or anyone else on the murder investigation team, in fact. You don't need to ask specifically for me. He paused briefly before adding, **'Do **you know where James Cook might be hiding?'

'Oh, I really think I _should_ ask for you, Sergeant Hathaway,' said Katie breathlessly, deliberately ignoring his question and flashing him yet another of her lascivious, 'come hither' smiles. 'I don't think I could trust anyone else to take me seriously. But you take me seriously, don't you, Sgt Hathaway? You wouldn't just dismiss me as a silly, hysterical, young woman, would you?'

The unmistakeable sound of stifled chortles and sniggers from behind her, immediately accompanied by an impressively realistic mime by Naomi of being violently sick into a bucket, stopped Katie in full flow and caused her to drop her sweet, innocent, little girl act momentarily as she spun round in her seat to face her tormentors.

'Oh, why don't you both fuck off?! You're behaving like a pair of stupid, immature schoolgirls!' She turned back to look at Sgt Hathaway who was showing commendable self-control in keeping a straight face when all his facial features were longing to free themselves and burst out into gasps of liberating laughter. 'I do apologise for my sister and her ''special friend''. They don't get out much, you see. They're far too busy with their own little games to know anything about proper adult relationships.'

Naomi was on the point of responding to Katie's snide and cheap insinuations with a few well chosen barbs and home truths of her own design when Emily suddenly cried out 'Effy? Effy! Stay with us, Effy! Don't close your eyes! Sergeant Hathaway, I think we're losing her!'

'We're almost there,' shouted Hathaway, trying to avoid sounding panicky in case

the girls got more frightened and lost focus on what he needed them to do. 'Keep talking to her. Don't let her slide down in the seat. Get her to sit up and take deep breaths. We'll be at the hospital in a minute.'

He handed a now startled and anxious Katie his phone and told her to call the hospital and get the crash team to stand by ready for their imminent arrival. The atmosphere in the car had dramatically changed in the space of a few seconds from one of a potentially highly entertaining yet trivial catfight into that of a deadly serious life and death situation which had gripped all the occupants with an icy cold sensation of fear.

**PART 4**

Cook had been out stone cold for about five minutes when he was rudely brought back to the land of the living by the shocking sensation of having a glass of ice cold water unceremoniously thrown in his face. His first reaction on waking up was to choke and splutter, spitting out the freezing cold liquid from his mouth and instinctively shaking his head from side to side to get rid of the irritating streams of water that were dribbling down his face. This was a mistake as he quickly found out to his cost as his sudden violent movements caused his head to start throbbing and pounding like he had woken up with the mother of all hangovers. This was not an uncommon occurrence in his life but as a rule he would always clearly remember having got totally wrecked the night before. He had no such instant memory this time and his mouth, now rid of the ice cold water, had none of the tell-tale sensations of tasting like the bottom of a bird cage or feeling as rough as a badger's arse.

When his eyes were no longer blurred by water he opened them fully and to his utter astonishment he saw Dawn sitting on top of him, just a foot or so away. He tried to sit himself up in order to ask her what the hell was going on when he realised that he could only raise himself a couple of inches before he was hauled back down again. A whole host of uncomfortable feelings suddenly began to permeate his hellishly sore, befuddled brain and after looking around, up and down and across for a few seconds he realised that he had been handcuffed to the bed by both his arms and his feet, rather expertly too he had to grudgingly admit. His hands were manacled to opposite ends of the bedstead and his feet likewise such that his body formed the shape of an enormous letter X. He would appear to have been well and truly trussed up like a kipper and the obvious culprit was his most recent sexual conquest who was straddling him at that very moment, her bare legs planted neatly either side of his waist.

'Hi babe!' he said, forcing an uncertain smile. 'You didn't need to go this far to get another shag off me. I was up for one anyway.'

'Oh, I've got more than just a shag in mind for you, Cook,' said Dawn with a sinister smile and a cold piercing stare that made Cook shiver just a tiny amount inside at its surprising intensity.

'Well, you know me, babe. I'm game for anything. In fact I was thinking only last night how it might be fun to let you take the lead for a change. I'm well up for a bit of dominatrix sex, you know. Go on, Dawnie, do your worst. I'm yours for the taking.'

Cook grinned incorrigibly up at Dawn and playfully screwed his eyes tight shut, waiting for the fun to begin. It all began quite encouragingly, he thought, as he felt Dawn shift her position a little further down so that her arse was resting gently on his cock which immediately started to respond to her thrusting movement up and down. Then when she leaned forward and began to stroke his chest and lightly tweak his nipples he couldn't help smirking and laughing with the unexpected pleasure of being controlled and dominated for a change.

But then without a word of warning the gentle tweaking suddenly transformed into uncomfortable pinching and pulling and the extremely erotic, rhythmical rubbing of his rapidly growing cock with her crotch became a violent and uncontrollable grinding that produced an involuntary cry of agony as the pain began to shoot through his body.

'What the fuck!...' he shouted out before he was cut short by Dawn roughly clamping a roll of black masking tape over his mouth to stifle any further protests he might have in mind.

'Now just you listen to me, Cook. You've been using me from the moment you clapped eyes on me. You've used me for sex, as I imagine you've used every girl you've ever come into contact with, but you've used me for a lot more besides. You're the sort of guy who just takes whatever he wants from women and then buggers off without a thought for the mess or the emotional wreck you leave behind. Well, tonight your luck has finally run out, Cook.'

Dawn paused for a moment to observe Cook's reactions and was gratified to detect an expression of utter bewilderment and even, she thought, just the tiniest suspicion of anxiety on the young man's face. He's never been in this situation before, she gloated inwardly, he's never had a woman turn the tables on him so forcefully. He's not once been controlled by a woman to this degree to the extent that he doesn't know what's going to happen to him next and whether it will please him or hurt him. She shivered momentarily from top to bottom with the thrill of the power that she felt she possessed over him at that moment.

'This is going to be the longest night of your life, Cook. I haven't yet made up my mind what I'm going to do with you. I could decide to make passionate love to you all night, non-stop, relentlessly, without giving you a minute to catch your breath. I could end up literally screwing you to death!' Dawn burst out laughing at the image that came to her mind of Cook lying on the slab at the mortuary with the pathologist solemnly pronouncing to the investigating officer that the cause of death was 'death by sexual misadventure - his cock was literally ripped to shreds.'

Cook forced a feeble smile through the tape and nodded his head up and down, ignoring the numbing pain that still throbbed away at him from his head wound. He reasoned quite correctly that this was probably the preferable way he would rather die, if death was indeed what this crazy lunatic of a bitch seemed to have in store for him.

'Or I could decide it would be much more fun to inflict unspeakable acts of humiliation and torture on you that I guarantee wouldn't give you a hard-on. I'm going to have to think it over for a little while. In the meantime I could do with a little drinkie! Would you like one, Cook?'

Cook nodded slowly and was mightily relieved to see Dawn get down off the bed and leave the bedroom. He desperately needed some time alone with his thoughts without feeling her eyes constantly boring into his face and her increasingly scary, half-crazed words digging into his brain. He'd been in many a dangerous situation in his madcap life before but he had a feeling that his current position was going to make facing a psychopathic psychiatrist with a baseball bat seem like a stroll in the fucking park.

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

Hi Everyone! I'm sorry it took me longer to bring out this new chapter than I had originally anticipated but I went down with a bug for a while and it kind of set me back a bit. But at last I've managed to complete this update which I hope you will enjoy. If you have any comments I'd love to hear from you - I'm sure some of you will have some thoughts on how you'd like to see the last section of this chapter develop! I'm open to suggestions! But any reviews/critiques on the chapter or the story as a whole will be gratefully received as ever - I love all forms of feedback.


	36. Chapter 36

**Previously On My Little Eye**:. Cook's mystery assailant turns out to be Naomi who persuades him to let her take Effy back to hospital and do a runner before Hathaway sees him. After discretely watching Hathaway and the girls drive off, Cook returns to face the music with Dawn who is lying in wait for him at the front door and knocks him unconscious before dragging him inside. On the drive back to the hospital Katie embarks on a very unsubtle flirtation exercise with Sgt Hathaway which is only interrupted by Effy falling consciousness in the back of the car with the girls. Cook wakes up to find that Dawn has handcuffed him to her bed and is threatening to carry out all manner of unspeakable acts on him as revenge for his treatment of her.

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX**

**PART 1**

When DI Lewis opened his eyes the next morning, for one terrifying moment he was convinced that his left arm had dropped off, such was the absence of any feeling in it. It was only when he looked round in panic that he realised that he still had the use of two arms but that his left arm was temporarily incapacitated by the weight of Laura Hobson lying full on it as she lay quietly sleeping, curled up in a ball next to him. As he lay pondering the best way to regain possession of his numb left arm without disturbing Laura, an incredulous grin filled his face as vivid memories of the previous night came flooding back into his mind.

It had been getting on for ten years since he had woken up in bed with his arms wrapped around a woman and more than thirty since that woman had been anyone other than his now departed wife Val. His relationship with Laura, initially just professional but in later years increasingly personal, had become closer and more special to him with every year that had passed since Val's death but somehow he had never really allowed himself to believe that it would inevitably progress beyond true friendship to an intimate sexual relationship. He had pessimistically assumed that his natural shyness and reticence amongst all women to whom he found himself attracted would stand in his way to the path to true happiness again.

But last night he had miraculously succeeded in shaking free the inner shackles that had hitherto hampered his attempts to express his true feelings for Laura. He remembered feeling young again, feeling confident and free for the first time in ages. Above all he rejoiced in recalling how good it felt to enjoy being with a woman, body and soul, letting go of his inhibitions completely with her in passionate embraces without that voice inside his head asking him how he could even think of doing such a thing to Val. This time he genuinely believed that Val would have been tearfully nodding her head in approval that he had finally decided to start living again.

He was so deep in thought, his mind almost sent spinning by a plethora of memories, emotions and images, that he wasn't aware at first that Laura had woken up and was staring at him with the amused expression of a woman who can see her man is engrossed in serious contemplation and is loath to interrupt such a rare event for fear it might never happen again.

'Penny for them?' she said softly, causing Robbie to give a little start before turning a mildly apologetic and bashful face towards a smiling Laura.

'I was just thinking how losing all the feeling in one arm seems such a small price to pay for the joy of waking up next to a beautiful woman,' he replied.

'Have you been rehearsing that line ever since you woke up?' Laura delicately shifted her position to enable Robbie to free his trapped left arm and watched with a wry grin as he rubbed it vigorously to get the blood flowing again and breathe fresh life into his throbbing limb.

'Not the whole time,' he said, wincing slightly as the initial pain gradually gave way to a reassuring tingling sensation before normal service was resumed. 'I was also wondering if I should be pinching myself that last night had actually happened or whether it was just another one of my weird dreams.'

'Oh, it happened alright,' said Laura as she leant forward towards Robbie and kissed him slowly, longingly and sweetly on the lips.

'Good God. It's still happening,' whispered Robbie, beaming down at Laura as she snuggled back into his arms which were quick to wrap themselves around her warm, curvaceous and, more thrillingly, naked body. They lay together contentedly in silence for a while, listening to the sound of each other breathing until Robbie couldn't resist it any longer. 'Have you got any more games you can teach me? I think I've got the hang of bridge now.'

Laura collapsed into a fit of infectious giggles, her pert, perfectly proportioned breasts jiggling up and down teasingly on Robbie's chest as he chuckled beside her, enjoying the tickling sensation her bouncing boobs gave him. ' I know. How about Cluedo?'

'Oh, very funny,' said Robbie. ' You'll be suggesting I ask James round to join us next.'

'That wouldn't be fair, two against one. What chance would I have of winning up against you two professionals?'

'Well, the way this case is going, perhaps I should be letting you have a crack at it instead.' Robbie 's expression swiftly changed from carefree amusement to a gloomy pessimism as the mere mention of his job caused his mind instantly to wander to the less joyous part of his current circumstances.

Laura immediately picked up on his change in mood and looked up at him, concerned. 'Are you really not getting anywhere? Is Innocent giving you a hard time?'

Robbie screwed up his nose and puffed out a sigh of quiet resignation. 'Not really, no more than usual anyway. It's just...' He paused as if trying to come up with the right words to describe how he was feeling.

'What?' Laura sat up a little and rested her weight on one shoulder so she could give Robbie her fullest attention.

' Oh, I don't know. Every time we think we might be on to something useful it fizzles out into nothing. It's almost got to the stage that...' Lewis grimaced before saying with a half guilty look in his solemn eyes, ' God help me for saying this, Laura, but you start hoping another body will turn up just to give you some fresh evidence to work on, some new hope that the killer might have made a mistake with his latest victim and left us a whopping great clue that will lead us right to him.'

'You'll get there in the end, Robbie. You always do. Don't get down on yourself. You don't deserve that. You can't be held responsible for every death in the city.' Laura sensed that Robbie was in danger of being way too hard on himself, as was his customary self-deprecating wont and needed a bit of ego-boosting and reassurance. She threw her arms around him and held him tightly, kissing his neck softly and murmuring a few well chosen words of comfort and consolation which appeared to do the trick. He forced a smile out of his previously long, sad face and responded in kind. The pair of then might have well have developed this act of intimate foreplay into something more prolonged and heightened if Robbie's mobile hadn't interrupted them before they could properly get into full flow.

He let out a cry of exasperation, echoed by Laura as she slumped back on her pillow in frustration, and reached out for his phone which was lying on the bedside cabinet.

'Lewis!' he barked angrily, in no mood to hide his feelings on this occasion at being disturbed at such an early time of the morning when he was actually on the point of getting some much needed leg-over to put him in a better frame of mind for the day.

He listened mostly in silence to the caller, punctuating the largely one-sided conversation with the odd short question such as 'Where?' and 'When?' before switching off and turning back to Laura with a bizarre mixture of relief and guilt on his face.

'Well, that just goes to show sometimes you should be careful what you wish for', he said grimly.

'Another body?' Laura made an educated guess and Robbie nodded. 'The same killer?'

'No doubt about it,' he confirmed with a nod. 'Our guy's a man of his word. He said his next victim would be buried alive and he's been true to his promise.' He had barely dragged himself out of bed when Laura's phone rang, presumably to convey the same news of the discovery of the latest victim. The two of them looked at each other briefly and each knew instinctively what the other was thinking. Better not leave for the murder scene at the same time and arrive together, even if in separate cars!

**PART 2**

As a rule Lewis wasn't exactly the picture of joy unconfined when he turned up at a murder scene. Even though death had been the staple diet of his job for more than twenty years he still found it hard to feel anything other than great sadness and a world-weary dismay at the destructive capabilities of the human race whenever he was confronted with yet another innocent victim. Yet that morning as he got out of his car and made his way over to where DS Hathaway and Dr Hobson were already heavily involved in the preliminaries, he was astonished to catch himself breaking out into a smile at the sight of Laura bending over the body with her delightfully pert bottom turned towards him, almost as if to greet him good morning for the second time that day. The delicious memories of their night of passion were still fresh in his mind and he couldn't help feeling on top of the world, full of the joys of spring and he had to force himself to wipe the self-satisfied smile from his face as he approached his sergeant who wouldn't have failed to notice such an unusual reaction in his boss.

'What have we got, then, James?' he asked routinely without expecting to be given the full life history of the victim at this early stage.

'Our fourth victim, Sir, just as we had been warned. Death by asphyxia from being buried alive in the ground. No ID at the moment but we're checking up on all missing persons reports in the last twenty-four hours.'

'Good morning to you too, Robbie!' Laura Hobson raised her head from her position kneeling down in the shallow grave bent over the victim and looked Lewis straight in the eyes. They had agreed to act completely normally in front of everyone else for the time being, as if the events of the previous night had been merely a figment of Robbie's overactive imagination and this reaction to not being greeted at the same time as James would have been perfectly typical of Dr Hobson. 'Or have I become invisible all of a sudden?'

Fortunately Lewis had spotted the twinkle in Laura's eyes when she made her barbed comment and he grinned back at her as he apologised profusely despite knowing that it was completely unnecessary. 'Sorry, Laura. I didn't see you there,' he lied unconvincingly, causing Hathaway to glance at his boss in mild surprise. He had immediately sensed there was something different about the inspector this morning but couldn't quite work out what it was. He would have to come back to it later and have a ponder.

'Who found him?' Lewis asked Hathaway who nodded in the direction of a middle-aged woman standing about thirty yards away talking to a uniformed policeman while she struggled to control a rather excitable golden retriever. 'The dog, Sir. She'd been taking him for an early morning walk in the woods.'

'Good God, I reckon dogs must have found half the dead bodies in Oxford since I've been on the force! What the hell is it about dogs and dead bodies? They seem to be drawn towards each other like magnets.'

Hobson and Hathaway smiled in unison as they watched Lewis scratch his face in open puzzlement at one of life's great unsolved mysteries.

'Perhaps you should bring one on to the murder team,' suggested Laura with a sly wink at the sergeant. 'You never know, he might find your murderer just as easily.'

'Now don't you be giving Innocent any ideas like that,' said Lewis with a grin. 'That's just the kind of damn fool experiment she'd jump at. Save on an inspector's salary and all for the cost of a few dog biscuits!'

Hathaway had rarely seen his boss be so flippant and good-humoured so early in the morning and particularly in the vicinity of a dead body and his curiosity was now well and truly aroused. Little did he know that wasn't the only thing that was well and truly aroused at the murder scene but Lewis was for the moment at any rate keeping his lust for Laura's body well under wraps. The normally alert sergeant was far from being on top form that morning after spending a large part of the night at Effy's bedside at the hospital and, as luck would have it, at the precise moment that his boss turned to look at him he was caught stifling an enormous yawn.

'I'm sorry if we're boring you with our feeble jokes, sergeant,' Lewis exclaimed, part in jest, part in all seriousness. 'Is this all a bit too early in the morning for you? I'm afraid I couldn't arrange for this victim to be discovered at a more hospitable time of the day.'

'Sorry, Sir,' Hathaway apologised without any discernible hint of embarrassment. 'Bit of a sleepless night. I'll snap out of it in a minute.'

Lewis was sorely tempted to inform his drowsy sergeant that he wasn't the only one who hadn't got as much sleep as normal the previous night but wisely refrained from making such an ill-advised remark. He knew it would only have led to some undesirable, awkward questions about the cause of his sleeplessness and might well have given Laura kittens as she listened to their conversation while she continued her examination of the dead body.

'Come on then, let's try and do some basic detective work before you fall into a coma,' Lewis said and failed to spot a slight wince on Hathaway's part as he looked across at Dr Hobson. 'You'll let us know when you'll be doing the PM, Laura?'

'Don't I always,' replied Laura with a smile as she mouthed a silent, 'see you later' at Lewis who nodded discretely in return and offered up a silent prayer that she didn't just mean at the post-mortem.

**PART 3**

Emily had hoped she would be able to slip into work relatively under the radar without drawing too much attention to herself. She had been up half the night with Naomi and an increasingly restless Katie, sitting at Effy's bedside watching their unconscious friend while Sgt Hathaway prowled around moodily in the background.

When they eventually had to admit defeat and gave in to utter exhaustion, they returned home to snatch a few hours sleep, leaving Effy still out for the count but at least in a stable condition.

She and Naomi immediately crashed out in bed, too tired and emotionally wrought to exchange more than a routine goodnight kiss before they both fell into a deep sleep, punctuated only by occasional unintelligible moans and murmurs as they relived the dramatic events of that evening in their weary minds. When Emily finally awoke the next morning it was to discover with horror she had overslept and was going to be seriously late for work.

So it was that she tiptoed into the office nearly an hour after her normal start time, her eyes anxiously darting around the open-plan room to see if anyone had observed her low-key arrival and had registered the epic scale of her lateness. But amazingly no-one had seemed to notice or, if they did, saw little merit or purpose in broadcasting the fact. She slid noiselessly and unobtrusively into her chair and breathed a sigh of relief, counting her lucky stars that she had got away with it. But as she stretched out her hand to switch her computer on she let out a stifled gasp as she saw the ominous post-it note which had been stuck on the middle of the screen for her to read as soon as she sat down at her desk.

'Where the fuck are you?! The boss wants to see you right away! I've covered for you as best I can but you 'd better get your arse over there before she goes ballistic.'

Emily guessed that the note had been left by Karen, Susie Peters' secretary whom she had got quite pally with in recent weeks. She closed her eyes and swore violently under her breath. That was the last thing she wanted, to piss off her boss big time when she needed all her help and support to make a name for herself on the paper. She picked up a pen and notebook and shot over to Susie Peters' office in double quick time, stopping only to check her appearance in the mirror on the way and hurriedly tidying up her hair and face which tragically yet accurately reflected the rough night she had experienced and the indecent haste of her departure from home.

'Emily! Where have you been, my dear?' Susie Peters enquired on Emily being shown into her office. 'We were wondering whether we should call the police and file a missing person's report.' It was hard for Emily to tell if her boss was being sarcastic or genuinely concerned.

'I'm really sorry, Miss Pete...' Emily cut herself short as she caught sight of her boss's gently disapproving eye and corrected herself with a shy smile 'I mean, Suzy. I wasn't feeling too well so I went to the ladies for a while to have a bit of a breather.'

'Oh, my dear, I'm so sorry. What on earth is the matter with you?' Susie rose from her chair and walked around her impressive executive desk to stand right in front of Emily, a look of genuine concern on her expertly made-up and strikingly beautiful face. She stretched out an arm and gently tilted Emily's face upwards so she could inspect her young protégé closely for any obvious signs of sickness. She felt Emily's brow for signs of a temperature, looked deep into her eyes and checked that her pulse was normal while Emily stood in awkward silence, flattered by Susie's concern for her well-being but ever so slightly uncomfortable with the pawing and touching that such concern had given her boss justifiable licence to carry out in the name of staff welfare.

'Oh, I'm fine now, honestly. I just felt a bit faint and dizzy earlier on, that's all. I...' Emily hesitated for a second, unsure if she should mention any part of the events of the previous evening before deciding that there couldn't be any harm in it and correctly guessing that it might work out in her favour should news of her late arrival subsequently get out. 'I've been up half the night with my friend Effy at the hospital.'

As if right on cue Susie put a sympathetic arm around Emily's shoulders and steered her gently but firmly over to the reception room part of her spacious office and sat her down next to her on the sofa. 'I think you'd better tell me all about it, Emily dear,' she said encouragingly while she poured out a glass of mineral water and handed it to a much relieved Emily who was secretly congratulating herself on distracting Susie's attention away from giving her disappearing act. Emily gave Susie a brief but mostly accurate account of the night's events which Susie listened to with great interest, her arm still draped comfortingly around Emily's shoulders throughout her narration.

'You poor thing,' she trilled, subtly pulling Emily even closer towards her to give her a hug and squeezing Emily's right shoulder to demonstrate how much she sympathised with her bright young thing's trials and tribulations, but carefully concealing how much she desperately longed to get into Emily's knickers. 'But you must look after yourself as well, you know, my dear. It's wonderful how you put yourself out to help your friends in their hour of need but you mustn't forget your own welfare too, you know. I need my brightest and best staff to be sharp, alert and fully focused on their job for us to stay ahead of the competition.'

Emily nodded as she sipped at the water and returned Susie's captivating smile and sparkling eyes with a nervous, appreciative smile of her own.

'That's my girl,' said Susie warmly, squeezing Emily's shoulders approvingly once more and fighting the enormous temptation to plant a soft kiss on the young woman's lips. 'Now, if you're _absolutely_ sure you're feeling well enough to go back to work...' to which Emily blurted out perhaps a little too enthusiastically 'Oh definitely, Susie. I want to get back to work right this second.'

'Good girl. Well, we've heard a whisper that there's been another brutal murder overnight, just like the previous three. It sounds like it's the same killer. What I want you to do is get yourself down to the police station and sniff out the whole story before all the other hacks can sink their teeth into it. I need you to use your acquaintances with this Sgt Hathaway whom you spent so much time with last night to get this paper a real exclusive scoop that none of the other papers, local or national, can get hold of. They don't have the personal contacts with the murder investigation team that you appear to enjoy so... get out there and use them, my girl. Show me you've got what it takes. I have total faith in you. This is your big chance to shine!'

Emily was shaking like a leaf inside but managed to force out a confident smile and a vigorous nod of her head to reassure Susie that she was ready for action and that her boss's confidence in her was not misplaced. Before she had even got back to her desk she felt her legs trembling with nerves and her stomach was churning so violently she was afraid she might throw up on the spot. After grabbing all the stuff she needed from her desk she flew out of the office and shot out into the street with no concrete plan in her head about what she was going to do except that she knew she had to pull off something big. But what the fuck could it be? She needed a touch of divine inspiration or perhaps the biggest stroke of luck she had ever had in her life if she wasn't going to fail miserably and see her career in journalism nosedive down the toilet barely before it had got started. She stood stock still in the middle of the pavement, her body tense with nervous anticipation as if she was waiting for the gun to go off. Just at the point where she feared she had taken root and couldn't move her feet an inch her mobile rang and after a quick glance she eagerly took the call.

'Thank God it's you, Naoms. Look, are you doing anything right now? Can you meet up with me?' I desperately need your help. In fact I need your ruthless, cunning, razor-sharp mind, right now.'

'Okay, babe,' said Naomi letting out a deep sigh, 'I'd rather you desperately wanted my tits, arse and fanny right now but I suppose my mind will have to do for starters.'

**PART 4**

It's not easy getting to sleep with your arms stretched out above your head and your hands tied to a brass bedstead. It wasn't a scenario Cook had ever thought about much before but had he been asked the question 'how easy do you think it would be?' he would have hazarded a guess ' probably quite tricky but it depends how scared you are and how tired you are.'

Last night Cook hadn't been scared exactly - a little disturbed perhaps, confused definitely, disorientated certainly - but he certainly hadn't reached the stage where he would have admitted to feelings of fear and anxiety, But by the time Dawn had finished with him around one o'clock in the morning, when she had finally had her fill of attempting to mentally torment and intimidate him, his overriding sensation was one of aching tiredness and exhaustion. It had taken him a little while to find the most comfortable position in the bed which would afford him the best opportunity for sleep but eventually he settled on one which put him half on his side with arms and shoulders as relaxed as they could be.

He had drifted off into a deep sleep in which he had dreamt of being repeatedly ravaged by a harem of stunning looking women who lined up in an orderly fashion at the foot of his bed patiently waiting their turn to jump on top of his throbbing penis and ride him to the point of ecstasy until he was totally spent and had nothing more to give. This was not an uncommon dream in Cook's experience. He had often joked to many of his fleeting one night stand conquests as they lay next to each other in bed exchanging sweet pleasantries after a furious bout of shagging that if he had to die then that was the way he would choose to go. If he played his cards right - or possibly wrong, it was hard to be sure which way it might go, - he might just see his wish come true to a certain extent.

As he lay in bed, gently allowing himself to come to and trying to get the few brain cells he possessed to crank into gear and start formulating a plan to extricate himself from this most unusual and awkward of situations, he became aware of how stiff and uncomfortable he felt, particularly around his neck and all down the spine of his back.

When Dawn finally decided she had grown tired of the amusing, silly, pointless game she was playing on him he would make damn sure she applied her nursing skills on him and gave him a bloody good all over body massage to reinvigorate his aching body and breathe fresh life back into him. He felt sure she would relent and release him from his current captivity at some point fairly soon. After all, she had work to go to and she surely wouldn't leave him alone like this all day. That would be utter madness and Cook was convinced Dawn wasn't mad - just a bit resentful and bitter about his cavalier approach to her generosity of spirit over the last few days and determined to teach him a lesson she hoped he would never forget.

After he had run through those thoughts in his head and satisfied himself he had read the situation correctly, he relaxed a little bit more, at least mentally rather than physically, and he drifted off into a light sleep once more until the sound of Dawn's voice calling his name abruptly dragged him back into full consciousness.

'Oi, Cook, wake up!' she cried, slapping him with measured force on the side of his face. 'It's breakfast time,' she added as he let out a muffled oath of equally measured intensity and opened his eyes to look at his captor who was perched on the side of the bed, all dressed up and ready for work. 'I've made you some tea and something to eat,' she said and she pointed to the mug and plate which she had placed on a tray on the bedside table. 'It's not your usual fry-up like you're probably used to but it's the best option I could up with in the circumstances.'

Cook nodded in appreciative acknowledgement of her kindness and from behind the tape which Dawn had thoughtfully chosen not to remove during his night's restless sleep he mumbled a completely unintelligible conversation piece such as one might attempt at the dentist's when your mouth was wide open to its maximum extent and had a couple of vicious looking dental instruments halfway down your throat and the dentist asked you where you were going for your holidays this year.

'Sorry, Cook, I can't hear a word you're saying. You know, you really should learn to speak more clearly and not mumble all the time.' Dawn let out a chilling cackle which sent a tiny shiver up Cook's throbbing spine. Clearly tickled pink by her own black humour she stared down unsympathetically at Cook as he frantically tried to convey with more muffled cries and jerky movements of his head the utter pointlessness and downright sadism of her bringing him breakfast without affording him the opportunity to partake of it.

'Oh, I get it now,' said Dawn, feigning sudden realisation of the conundrum she had unwittingly presented Cook with, 'You're wondering how the fuck you're going to have breakfast trussed up like that.' Cook nodded and watched as she sat for a while apparently deep in thought considering the problem and searching for the most appropriate solution that would serve the interests of both parties. Then without a word of warning she leaned forward and roughly ripped off the tape from his mouth, causing him to cry out in agony as the tape pulled a cluster of small hairs away from his upper lip and reminded him why he had sworn never to satisfy his curiosity and try out a full Brazilian just for the sheer hell of it.

'You mad, fucking cow!' he shouted instinctively, not caring much what reaction such an insult would provoke in Dawn whose helpless giggling betrayed the extent to which she was clearly revelling in the small acts of torture she was inflicting on her prey.

'Now that's not very nice, Cook. That's not the way to thank someone who's gone to all the trouble of making you breakfast.'

'What the hell's up with you? Why are you doing this? Did I really do anything so bad to you?'

'I'd love to sit here and have a lovely chat with you, Cook, but I've got to get off to work. So be a good boy, eat your breakfast and chill out for the rest of the day. You're good at chilling out in my flat, aren't you? You're just going to have a few less entertainment options than the last time.'

Before Cook could even start to put up a robust defence of his previous crimes and misdemeanours in Dawn's flat she had produced another roll of tape from nowhere and slapped it across his mouth. But this piece of tape had one small difference from the one that she had so roughly torn from his mouth a few moments earlier. This one had had a small hole cut out in the middle which Cook quickly realised was intended to enable him to take in food and drink. But how the fuck, he thought, as he mumbled a few more incoherent obscenities at a now giggling Dawn, was he supposed to reach the food over on the bedside table? As if reading his thoughts Dawn got down off the bed, picked up the breakfast tray and placed it very carefully on his chest, the two legs neatly supporting the weight of the mug and plate either side of Cook's upper body.

Now that it was right up close under his chin Cook could see that the food that Dawn had prepared was a plate of spaghetti and the mug of tea had a straw hanging over the edge. She had obviously given the matter some serious thought and she couldn't help bursting out laughing as she watched Cook look at his breakfast tray intently and formulate in his mind a method by which he was going to eat and drink from his restricted position.

'I'm off now, Cook. Enjoy your breakfast! I'll leave you to figure out how you're going to eat it. Oh, one more thing. I'd advise you to hold your bladder in check. If I come back and find you've wet the bed I'll whip your arse so hard you want be able to sit down for a week!'

Cook let out a stifled groan as he watched Dawn blow him a kiss as she left the room. The sadistic cow could at least have given him a pot to piss in! He was bursting for a pee!

**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE**

Sorry this chapter took longer to come out than I had anticipated but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Any reviews, thoughts or critical comment on this latest update or the story as a whole will, as ever, be most gratefully appreciated. All feedback is good!


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